Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who implemented President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war as Philippine National Police chief on Friday filed his candidacy for president.
As standard bearer of Duterte's PDP Laban, Dela Rosa will run with the President's longtime aide, Sen. Bong Go as his vice president.
"Ang partido ang nag-decide na tumakbo ako... matagal na [napagdesisyunan] pero tinatago lang namin. 'Yan ang mga diskarte kasi kapag maaga ka nagbalita, titirahin ka kaagad," he told the media.
PDP-Laban initially endorsed Go to run for president with Duterte as his vice president. On Saturday, Go filed his candidacy to run for vice president under the ruling PDP-Laban, while Duterte said he would retire from politics.
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Dela Rosa said he would run for president even if the party decided to field a different candidate.
He denied that he filed his candidacy for president to be a placeholder for Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is urged to run for president. She already filed her candidacy for reelection in Davao on Saturday.
"Do I look like a mockery to you? I won as a senator, number 5 po ako last election. Is that mockery?" he said.