MANILA -- Members of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) came up with a unanimous resolution calling on President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to run for vice president and to choose a presidential running mate in the 2022 national election.

In issuing the resolution, the PDP-Laban party members expressed their clamor for the continuity of the Duterte administration’s achievements citing its successes in peace and order, infrastructure development, healthcare, education, and many others.

During a meeting between President Duterte and PDP-Laban executives and other officials in Malacañang aired on Wednesday, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said they went around the country and listened to the messages of support for the President and his administration.

Cusi, the party’s vice chairman, said they collected and filed manifestos of support from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, PDP-Laban members and non-members who wanted to express their unity and support in the President’s leadership, recognizing the gains made in the fight against illegal drugs, terrorism, armed conflict, corruption, and poverty.

“Dahil dito, Mr. President, ang PDP-Laban National Council ay nananawagan sa inyo na pakinggan at tugunan ang kahilingan ng kanilang mga nasasakupan na kayo ay tumakbo bilang bise presidente sa darating na halalan sa 2022,” Cusi said.

“At upang makasiguro na maipagpapatuloy ang inyong mga nasimulan na mga polisiya at programa, lalo’t higit sa droga, peace and order, at economic and infrastructure projects.”

Citing the feat of the current administration, Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone, a PDP-Laban member, said that for the past 50 years insurgency has been rampant in Eastern Visayas and was only addressed by the Duterte government.

Under the current leadership, four out of the 11 guerilla fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in Eastern Visayas have been dismantled and three were neutralized.

“Ang fear po namin ay baka hindi po ‘yan ma-sustain pag walang focus at walang seal of support ang susunod na administrasyon,” Evardone said.

“That’s very important because as we all know, peace and order is a pre-requisite for development kaya nga po lahat ng malalakas na insurgency areas ay poverty stricken po ‘yong lugar talagang bagsak ‘no. So iyon po ang isa pong concern namin.”

The Duterte administration’s Universal Free Education, the Universal Health Care System and the Malasakit Program are well-implemented in the region, the Eastern Samar governor said, noting this free up the budget of the local government units.

Infrastructure development brought by the government’s Build, Build, Build program has also improved roads up to the barangay level, he noted.

Meanwhile, Sulu Governor Abdusakur Mahail Tan cited the improvement in peace and order situation in Sulu, which he said could only be sustained if the President will run for vice president.

“Sa ngayon halos wala ng Abu Sayyaf. Wala na. Actually parang wala nang kidnap victim kahit isa sa Sulu. Kaya magaling itong mga general natin doon, sina General Vinluan, General Gonzales, magagaling,” he said.

As a response, the President said he is considering a vice presidential run but also expressed some reservations.

“To the proposition that I run for vice president, medyo I’m sold to the idea. So meaning to say, I am seriously thinking of running for vice president.”

“But let me dwell into the reality of things, sabi mo nga. If I run for vice president tapos ang presidenteng na-elect hindi ko kaibigan, the situation would arise na sabi ko I would remain an inutile thing there,” he stressed.

“Kasi ‘pag wala kang ano sa presidente, suporta, wala ka talaga. Ito ang dilemma ko,” he noted, adding that the vice president should work hand-in-hand with the chief executive to be effective. (PND)