Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Monday that he had received no calls from other political parties to drop his vice-presidential ambition.
On the other hand, Sotto revealed that there had been requests to support other tickets.
When asked about prospective unity negotiations among vice presidential contenders, he made the remark.
“Wala naman. Walang lumalapit sa akin na ako’y mag-withdraw. May mga lumalapit na sinasabi na sumuporta ako sa kanila pero walang lumalapit sa akin na para ako ay mag-withdraw,” Senator Sotto said in a CNN Philippines interview.
(There’s none. No one approached me to withdraw, but some asked me to support their ticket.)
If unification talks are held ahead of the May 9 elections, Sotto stated that his goal would not be to defeat a certain candidate.
Tito Sotto says no one has asked him to drop VP bid
“The unity ng mga kandidato, I have not looked at it that way. ‘Di ako tumakbo para talunin ang kahit sino… As early as July, August, we already offered ouselves to the people. So whether may talunin o wala ‘di ‘yon ang nasa mind ko,” Sotto said when asked about a possibile unification effort to beat Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the front-runner in the latest vice presidential pre-election surveys.
(I have not looked at it that way. I didn’t run to beat a certain candidate. As early as July, August, we already offered ourselves to the people.)
“Ang nasa isip ko: I know the solutions. I’ve been in national issues for a very long time and I know how to handle it. I will hit the ground running. Hindi ko pagpraktisan ang [Office of the Vice President]. Hindi ako mangangapa. That is what I am offering the people, not to beat anyone,” he added.
(What’s on my mind is: I know the solutions. I’ve been in national issues for a long time, and I know how to handle them. So I will hit the ground running. I will not make the OVP a training ground. That is what I am offering the people, not to beat anyone.)
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