Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima said Rodrigo Duterte’s and Bong Go’s withdrawal from their respective candidacies in the 2022 national elections is not surprising.
De Lima, who is running for re-election under Vice President Leni Robredo’s slate, said Duterte has repeatedly taken Filipinos for a ride and his recent victims are the politicians under the Cusi wing of PDP-Laban party.
“Kahit sino’ng nakakakilala kay Duterte ay alam na na gumagawa lamang sila ng kuwento para pag-usapan. Kawawa lang yung mga pulitiko na ginamit nila sa Cusi wing ng PDP-Laban na, pagkatapos gamitin nina Cusi at Duterte, ay iniwan na lang sa ere,” she said in her Dispatch from Crame No. 1188.
“What’s his next political game? He cannot just fade away as he’s got a mountainload of sins and transgressions to answer for,” she added.
Based on media reports, Duterte personally filed his statement of withdrawal from the Senatorial race last Dec. 14, just hours after Go, his longtime aide, officially backed out of the presidential race.
The move also came just hours after Duterte’s daughter, vice presidential aspirant Sara Duterte-Carpio, endorsed his candidacy for senator.
“Hindi na ako magugulat kapag mag-substitute ulit siya sa anak niyang si Baste para tumakbong Mayor ng Davao,” stressed De Lima.
But more than any politician’s gimmicks and inanities, De Lima said Filipinos need to pay serious attention to Presidential aspirant and Vice President Leni Robredo and her advocacy for true governance and a better Philippines.
“Ano pa man ang gawin nila sa pamilya nila [Duterte], mas kailangan ng bayan natin ngayon na pansinin ang mga kandidatong may totoong plano para sa ating bansa. Hindi iyong mga wannabe-Drama-Kings na ang tanging alay sa bayan ay ang corny nilang acting at script, at matigas na pagmumukha,” she said.
“Filipinos deserve a much better President than the one we have now. No to trapos, yes to VP Leni,” she added. (30)