Ex-guv says he may ‘intervene’ in 2022 polls

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Former Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. said on Wednesday that his interest in politics had not waned as he “may possibly intervene” in the May 9, 2022 elections.

But Defensor said he will not be running for any position in the upcoming polls.

In an interview with Aksyon Radyo Iloilo, Defensor described himself only as a “keen observer.”

He clarified that he may “possibly intervene” not by running for office but for his politician sons who might need his guidance.

His sons Arthur Jr. and Lorenz are currently serving as Iloilo Governor and Iloilo 3rd district representative, respectively. Both are serving their first terms and are gunning for reelection next year.

Defensor said that he may also lend a hand to national candidates who would need his support in courting voters in Iloilo province.

Iloilo is a vote rich province with 1.2 million registered voters as of the 2019 elections, according to Commission on Elections (COMELEC) data.

“I am a keen observer of politics now, but I may, shall we say, possibly intervene in the upcoming elections, because my interest in politics has not disappeared due to my children still being in politics, and they may need also my assistance and my guidance. I do not deny myself the privilege and the right to participate myself in the national elections through helping national candidates who, in my view, need help,” he said.

 

DIGONG AS VICE PRESIDENT?

Defensor was also asked about Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan’s (PDP-LABAN) resolution convincing President Rodrigo Duterte to run as Vice President in the national polls.

The former governor jumped ship to PDP-Laban from Liberal Party along with his sons and other allies in 2017. His son, Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. is the current provincial chairperson of the ruling party.

The PDP-Laban resolution was adopted on May 31, 2021 during its National Council Assembly in Cebu City, led by Energy Secretary and party Vice-Chairman Alfonso Cusi.

The convention was held without PDP-Laban President and Senator Manny Pacquiao, who has been tagged as a presidential timber in future polls.

Pres. Duterte, who is currently the party’s chairman, was also given the choice by the resolution’s signatories to pick their standard bearer if he runs for the second highest post.

The President has sent mixed signals as to whether he would run as vice-president. His recent statement pointed to a possible retirement from politics.

In 2015, Duterte nixed reports that he will run for president saying he will seek re-election as Davao City mayor. But in December of that year, he substituted the party’s PDP-Laban’s standard bearer, Interior Undersecretary Martin Diño.

Duterte said it was “unusual” for his party “to pick the second-in-command,” adding that the traditional practice for the presidential bet to pick the vice-presidential bet was “thrown out the window”.

He also said that the practice of choosing the president before the vice-president was due to the latter’s limited constitutional mandates.

Section 8, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution provides that the Vice President shall serve the remainder of the President’s term “death, permanent disability, removal from office, or resignation of the President”.

Under Section 3 of the same Article, the Vice-President may also serve as a member of the President’s cabinet without the need to be confirmed by the bi-cameral Commission on Appointments.

Other than those two provisions, there are no other duties and responsibilities for vice-presidents under the Constitution.

Vice-Presidents of the Philippines have traditionally been given roles by the President even if they aren’t under the same party.

The current Vice President, Leni Robredo, briefly served as housing chief from July to December 2016, and as co-chairperson of the government’s inter-agency body against illegal drugs in for 18 days in November 2019.

Her predecessors, Jejomar Binay and Noli De Castro, held the positions of housing chief and presidential adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers during their terms.

Former Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was Vice President to Joseph Estrada, also served as social welfare secretary until 2000.

Defensor agreed with Duterte’s stand on picking the party’s top candidates.

“Usually, in the national election, presidential candidates are decided first. Vice-presidential candidates are decided in consultation with the presidential candidate. This is because the vice-president always gives way to the president, and who decides the vice-presidential candidate will greatly depend on the recommendation of the presidential candidate,” Defensor said.

He added, however, that PDP-Laban may already have a vice-presidential candidate in mind, aside from Duterte, but it has yet to make the official nomination.

“There are floating names about their consensus for vice-president, but they have not been officially nominated. The normal practice is that the vice-president should be the president’s choice,” Defensor said.

The former governor also said that while he saw nothing wrong with the party choosing its vice presidential candidate first, it “exposed the party’s motives” of having Duterte handpick his successor who he can leverage.

He also described it as “politically wrong”, citing the negative reactions to the party’s move on traditional and social media.

“The people see this as an insult, where the president runs as vice president, and the aim has nothing patriotic about it. There’s nothing to show that it is love of country and a genuine and sincere desire to serve the people. The aim, as it seems, would be that it would be to have their presidential candidate win,” the former governor said.

Defensor said that “many things will still happen”, adding that he cannot advise his sons of what they should be doing at this time.

“The decision of my children in politics will greatly depend on what will happen. From today until the day of the filing of certificate of candidacy. They may support, they may not support, they may leave the party, they may run for independent, or they may join another party, or they may intend to coalition with another group or party. There are many things still to happen, that is why I am giving my sons leeway,” he said.

Defensor also said that if the opposition wanted to win next year’s presidential elections, they must field only one candidate.