‘Nothing has changed’ – Duterte aide

DAVAO CITY – Nothing has changed in the decision of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte not to run for president in the 2016 polls even with the withdrawal of Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) standard bearer Martin Diño from the presidential race.

This was revealed by Duterte’s executive assistant, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go Thursday.

“Ingon ni mayor (The mayor said) nothing has changed ug magpadayon daw siya sa iyang soul searching karong (and he will continue with his soul searching this) All Souls’ Day,” Go said.

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, president of PDP-Laban said he is flying to Davao to meet with Duterte not to pressure the latter to run or not but to ask his final decision.

Pimentel said Duterte has to decide soon because as a substitute candidate, he might be technically knocked out of the presidential derby by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Orphaned This will leave the party without a substitute candidate following the recent withdrawal from the race by Martin Diño, the PDP-Laban deputy secretary general for the National Capital Region and concurrent chairman of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC).

City Administrator Melchor Quitain, who is the executive secretary of Duterte’s Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod party, said the decision of Diño is only the first step and there will be a second step if the mayor decides to run.

“It all depends on Mayor Duterte if he decides to substitute. The ground is already laid for him to make that decision,” Quitain pointed out.

The withdrawal of Diño came ahead of the five-day period given by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for him to explain why he should not be declared a nuisance candidate.

Diño withdrew upon the advice of his lawyers.