Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 15)— The party that fielded Senator Bong Go and President Rodrigo Duterte for key posts in the 2022 polls said it was not informed of their plan to withdraw their candidacies.
“Na-ninja move tayo (We were caught off guard). We were waiting here for two weeks but you know they made their decision,” Greco Belgica, president of the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS), told reporters on Wednesday.
Belgica, however, stressed that the PDDS will support the candidate who will be endorsed by the chief executive for next year’s elections.
“It’s a party decision and the President and Sen. Bong Go are members and the leaders of our party. We vow to support whoever they will endorse in the coming elections,” he said.
In a surprise move, Duterte filed his certificate of withdrawal before the Commission on Elections Tuesday afternoon — just hours after Go officially dropped his presidential bid.
Malacañang said Duterte will be retiring to spend more time with his family, adding that the move will help him focus on COVID-19 response efforts and election preparations.
Meanwhile, the PDP-Laban faction which Duterte and Go are a part of is also left with no standard bearers for the polls.
The group headed by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said it is also still awaiting Duterte’s endorsement for the presidency.
CNN Philippines correspondent Melissa Lopez contributed to this report.
