SENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has politely turned down an offer from the Liberal Party (LP) to be the running mate of Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo should she decide to run for the presidency in 2022.
Drilon said that he would retire from politics, stressing that he has been in government long enough and that he wants to "give others a chance".
"I'm not running for any position, I have served enough, I think I have contributed. Let's give others a chance," Drilon said.
Drilon is one of the "Big 3" graduating in mid-2022 after two successive six-year terms in the 24-member Senate. The two others are Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd and Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto.
Sotto is seeking the vice presidency in the May 2022 national elections. He is the chairman of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC).
Recto, the economist in the Senate, is silent on what his political plans are, if any.
"For the record, we're still trying to have Sen. Drilon change his mind," said Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, who is the current LP president.
Sen. Emmanuel "Joel" Villanueva believed that Drilon would be a fitting candidate for vice president next year, and that Robredo should consider him as her running mate.
"As for her choice of vice president if she decides to run for President, one element she can consider was the result of the previous senatorial elections, our Minority Leader Sen. Frank Drilon," Villanueva said.
"He is our 2016 senatorial elections topnotcher with more than 18 million votes garnered — highly competent, unblemished track record, magaling at masipag (brilliant and hardworking)," he added.
Meanwhile, former senior associate justice Antonio Carpio of the 1Sambayan, the opposition coalition group that picked Robredo as its presidential candidate for the upcoming polls, said that Robredo will be consulted on who will be her running mate and who will compose their senatorial slate.
"The vice president and the senatorial candidates will be chosen in consultation with our presidential candidate because our presidential candidate is the lead in the unified ticket, so we have to consult with her," said Carpio.
Filing of certificates of candidacy (CoCs) before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is ongoing until October 8.
Drilon said that he would retire from politics, stressing that he has been in government long enough and that he wants to "give others a chance".
"I'm not running for any position, I have served enough, I think I have contributed. Let's give others a chance," Drilon said.
Drilon is one of the "Big 3" graduating in mid-2022 after two successive six-year terms in the 24-member Senate. The two others are Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd and Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto.
Sotto is seeking the vice presidency in the May 2022 national elections. He is the chairman of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC).
Recto, the economist in the Senate, is silent on what his political plans are, if any.
"For the record, we're still trying to have Sen. Drilon change his mind," said Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, who is the current LP president.
Sen. Emmanuel "Joel" Villanueva believed that Drilon would be a fitting candidate for vice president next year, and that Robredo should consider him as her running mate.
"As for her choice of vice president if she decides to run for President, one element she can consider was the result of the previous senatorial elections, our Minority Leader Sen. Frank Drilon," Villanueva said.
"He is our 2016 senatorial elections topnotcher with more than 18 million votes garnered — highly competent, unblemished track record, magaling at masipag (brilliant and hardworking)," he added.
Meanwhile, former senior associate justice Antonio Carpio of the 1Sambayan, the opposition coalition group that picked Robredo as its presidential candidate for the upcoming polls, said that Robredo will be consulted on who will be her running mate and who will compose their senatorial slate.
"The vice president and the senatorial candidates will be chosen in consultation with our presidential candidate because our presidential candidate is the lead in the unified ticket, so we have to consult with her," said Carpio.
Filing of certificates of candidacy (CoCs) before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is ongoing until October 8.