Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, a surprise candidate for president, said late Friday he was willing to be substituted by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, should she change her mind about running to succeed her father.
Dela Rosa said he was leaving that decision up to President Rodrigo Duterte's eldest daughter. "Mahirap pangunahan si Mayor Inday depende nga kung gusto noya tumakbo under the PDP Laban party," he told CNN Philippines.
"To be frank, just in case, ganito lang ang status natin. Just in case makapag-decide si Inday Sara na tumakbo at madesisyunan ng partido namin na PDP-Laban na i-adopt siya as our standard bearer at madesisyunan talaga na siya ang papalit sa akin no problem with me," Dela Rosa said.
"I will abide by the party decision. I am a good soldier, sunod lang ako sa instruction ng partido. It's the decision of the party na tumakbo," he said.
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The Comelec has a Nov. 15 deadline for political parties to draft substitute candidates within their own ranks. Duterte-Carpio has her own Hugpong ng Pagbabago and is not a member of PDP-Laban.
Dela Rosa is running for president with Sen. Bong Go as vice president. Dela Rosa, as national police chief, was the chief implementer of Duterte's drug war, now the subject of a crimes against humanity investigation by the International Criminal Court. Go is Duterte's longtime aide.
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The police general turned lawmaker said he would push through with his candidacy for president should Duterte-Carpio pursue reelection as Davao City Mayor.
"In that case, bakit, aatras ba ako? Hindi ako aatras kung ganun. Desisyon na yan ng partido namin... Tuloy na ito. Tuluyan natin," he said, likening his resolve to having "balls" (bay*g).
Dela Rosa placed fifth in the 2019 senatorial elections on the back of 19 million votes. "Manalo man ako o matalo, senador pa din ako."