Alan still open to all options

SEN. ALAN Peter Cayetano yesterday said he has not made a final decision on who to team up with in the 2016 elections, and is not prioritizing one group over another.

He is considering various options, said Cayetano, who is considering a run for either the presidency or the vice presidency.

Cayetano yesterday sought to correct any “misimpressions” that could arise from the headline of the Aug. 21 INQUIRER story that read, “With Duterte on his mind, Alan Cayetano says no thanks if LP offers VP.”

“While the body of the article is accurate and well-written, nowhere in my interviews nor in my previous statements have I stated that I have made a final decision on what group or party we will partner with or whom I will pair up with as a presidential-vice presidential team,” he said in a statement.

Cayetano said he had never implied or declared that he was prioritizing any political party or that he would not join Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte if the Liberal Party were to ask him to be the running mate of its standard-bearer, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.

“Like I said before, I consider all possibilities and keep my door open to all options,” he added.

He also said he would consider a partnership for the 2016 elections only if it would be based on common vision and principle. He would want programs that are doable, necessary, and would bring real change to people’s lives, he added.

Cayetano, who is eyeing a run for higher office next year, was recently suggested as a possible running mate for Roxas.

But he noted on Thursday that Roxas was still focused on pursuing Sen. Grace Poe to be his running mate, hence it would do no good for him to speak with the Liberal Party about a possible team-up at this point.

He also said his own party, the Nacionalista Party, had yet to finalize its plan of action for 2016.

If possible, it would want to field its own candidates in the elections, he said. He said he himself was focused on a possible run for the presidency, but he had not closed the door on running for Vice President.