Duterte daughter says senators offered to be her VP running mate

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte’s daughter said at least two senators had offered to be her vice presidential running mates next year.

In a statement on Wednesday night, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said Senators Christopher Lawrence T. Go and Sherwin T. Gatchalian had expressed their intent to run with her.

Last month, the PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi endorsed the vice presidential bid of her father, President Rodrigo R. Duterte, and a potential presidential run by Mr. Go.

Mr. Duterte has accepted the nomination, while Mr. Go rejected the offer.

Ms. Carpio, who is believed to be seeking the presidency in 2022 elections, also said a proposal to make former Defense Secretary Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro her running mate “was made known through common friends.”

Certain groups also want House Majority leader Martin G. Romualdez and Senator Juan Edgardo M. Angara to be her vice-president, she added. “I cannot confirm if these are true.”

Ms. Carpio said she had read reports of a possible tandem between her and the late dictator’s son, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.

But she belied her father’s claim that Senator María Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos wanted to be her running mate.

“This is not true,” Ms. Carpio said. “She visited me in Davao last May 29 to personally relay her birthday wishes. So far, this is the only visit she has made to me in Davao.”

Mr. Duterte made the claim at a taped Cabinet meeting, where he defended his former economic adviser Michael Yang, who had been implicated in the government’s procurement of overpriced medical goods from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., a unit of Taiwan-based Pharmally International.

A video from state media was played at a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing last week that showed Mr. Yang introducing officials of Pharmally International to Mr. Duterte in March 2017.

Ms. Marcos earlier said leaders of Pharmally have active criminal cases in Taiwan for alleged stock manipulation.

She said Mr. Yang “appears to be the go-to powerbroker in the Philippines for Chinese politicians and businessmen looking for smooth transactions in the country.”

Presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said the government deal with Pharmally was above board.

“In law, we have a principle that a corporation has a separate personality, separate and distinct from the stockholders,” he told a televised news briefing on Thursday.

Mr. Go, the President’s long-time friend, has been linked to former budget official Lloyd Christopher Lao, who signed most of the deals with Pharmally.

Ms. Marcos, Mr. Go and Mr. Angara were elected senators in 2019. Mr. Gatchalian’s term will end next year.

Ms. Carpio earlier said her father had asked her to either endorse the Go-Duterte tandem in the 2022 elections, or take in Mr. Go as her vice-president.

Political analysts have said the administration is trying to create an impression that Mr. Duterte’s brand of leadership is still needed.

Mr. Duterte has said he would not run for vice-president if his daughter decides to seek the presidency. In July, Ms. Carpio said she was open to running for president. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza