By Celerina Monte

President Rodrigo Duterte is not outrightly rejecting the idea of him running for vice president in the 2022 elections contrary to his previous pronouncements that he wanted to return to Davao and retire there because he was already tired and frustrated by corruption in government.

His partymates in Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in their national assembly in Cebu province on Monday came out with a resolution calling for Duterte to run for vice president after his six-year term ends next year.

His daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, was allegedly joining in the presidential race next year. She belongs to another political party.

"To all those asking of the President's answer, the answer is he will think about it. Of course, he has been nominated, so, it needs to be thought of," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a televised press briefing on Duterte's response to the resolution of his partymates.

"On the other hand, he (Duterte) already served the country, on the other hand, he said he will think what is the best for the country, that's the answer of the President," he added.

Prior to PDP-Laban's resolution, when the issue of Duterte's possible vice presidential bid was brought up, Roque has said that Duterte was leaving it to God.

Duterte is barred from running for another term for president. But the Constitution does not prohibit a president to seek for another position after he or she finished his or her term.

One example was that of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. After she finished her term as president, she ran and won as representative in a congressional district in Pampanga. Ousted President Joseph Estrada also ran and won as mayor of Manila. DMS