Any Filipino has the right to enter an electoral race, Vice President Sara Duterte said Thursday, addressing speculation that Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) general manager Nicolas Torre III intends to contest the mayoralty of Davao City, long regarded as her family’s political stronghold.
Pressed during an interview about talk that Torre was eyeing a position in the Duterte heartland, she framed the matter as a basic feature of the political system. “Everyone, of course ‘no, in a democratic country, lahat ay allowed at welcome na mag-file ng kanilang certificate of candidacy at tumakbo sa election,” she said.
The chatter traces to images spreading online of a tarpaulin bearing Torre’s photograph, captioned with the line, “Ingat sa daan!”
Torre, who previously headed the Philippine National Police, drew hostility from Duterte loyalists over the part he played in taking former president Rodrigo Duterte into custody. That arrest was carried out under a warrant handed down by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Turning to the presidential contest still two years off, the Vice President acknowledged the backing of those who have kept her atop recent voter preference polls for 2028. She cast her standing as a matter of thanks rather than triumph. “Sa akin, sa lahat ng survey sinula noong 2022 ay lagi ang aking pagpapasalamat sa taong bayan dahil patuloy ang kanilang pagtitiwala at suporta sa akin, sa aking mga kasamahan at sa Tanggapan ng Pangalawang Pangulo kahit na medyo hirap ‘yung aming organization dahil sa politika, sa paninira, at sa pagpapahirap sa amin para gawin namin ‘yung trabaho namin,” she said.
She added that her reaction to polling results does not hinge on where she places: “Kaya it’s always a message of gratitude every time a survey comes out whether or not number one ako o hindi.”
Duterte had already declared her intention to seek the presidency, making the announcement back in February.
