House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said President Rodrigo Duterte “is the most strongest and experienced candidate” he should the Chief Executive decide to join the vice presidential race. Photo by VER S. NOVENO
Romualdez backs Duterte for VP
No legal impediment if PRRP runs for veep
HOUSE Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez said he will support President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte’s possible vice presidential bid in the 2022 presidential elections, adding there is no legal impediment for the Chief Executive to seek the country’s second highest elective post.
Romualdez, President Duterte’s personal choice for the vice presidency, said he would support the president should the latter decide to join the vice presidential race, stressing the Chief Executive “is the most strongest and experienced candidate.”
“Kung tatakbo po ang Pangulo sa pagka-bise presidente, sa aking pananaw siya po ang pinakamalakas na kandidato at pinaka-experienced na puwedeng maging vice-president at siyempre susuportahan po natin iyan,” Romualdez, president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), told Isa Avendaño Umali and Divine Reyes’ Bantay Balita sa Kongreso over Super Radyo dzBB in response to President Duterte’s announcement last Thursday that the public should consider him a candidate for vice president “at this time.”
“Nagpapasalamat rin ako sa aking partidong Lakas-CMD. Salamat rin sa ating Pangulong Duterte sa ibinibigay na tiwala at kumpiyansa nang ikonsidera niya ako bilang kanyang kandidato sa pagka-bise president,” said Romualdez, chairman of the House committee on rules, who is keeping his options open for a possible run for higher office.
Romualdez, a lawyer from the University of the Philippines (UP) and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), said he sees no constitutional prohibition in case President Duterte decides to run for vice president.
“Wala akong nakikitang prohibition sa ating Konstitusyon,” Romualdez responded when asked if President Duterte is legally and constitutionally allowed to run for vice president, adding what is banned for a sitting president is to seek reelection.
Earlier, Romualdez expressed belief that President Duterte is highly qualified to run for vice president.
“Again, let me express my gratitude to President Duterte for his trust and confidence in me. I believe President Duterte is very much qualified and capable to run for vice president. He remains very popular five years after his election as the sixteenth president of the Philippines,” Romualdez stressed.
“I agree with him that he needs to continue his good platforms of government, including fight against corruption, illegal drugs, and criminality,” Romualdez said.
