VP Sara: MMDA GM Torre welcome to run for Davao City mayor

Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday said that Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) general manager Nicolas Torre III is welcome to file his certificate of candidacy should he wish to run as mayor in Davao City. "Everyone, of course ‘no, in a democratic country, lahat ay allowed at welcome na mag-file ng kanilang certificate of candidacy at tumakbo sa election,” Duterte said in an interview when asked for her comment about rumors that Torre is seeking a post in her family’s bailiwick. Posts earlier circulated on social media showing a tarpaulin featuring Torre’s face and below it is a text, “Ingat sa daan!” (Take care on the road). Torre, a former chief of the Philippine National Police, gained notoriety among the Duterte camp and its supporters over his role in the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Duterte also expressed gratitude for her supporters, following the series of surveys showing that she is the leading aspirant for the 2028 presidential elections. “Sa akin, sa lahat ng survey sinula noong 2022 ay lagi ang aking pagpapasalamat sa taong bayan dahil patuloy ang kanilang pagtitiwala at suporta sa akin, sa aking mga kasamahan at sa Tanggapan ng Pangalawang Pangulo kahit na medyo hirap ‘yung aming organization dahil sa politika, sa paninira, at sa pagpapahirap sa amin para gawin namin ‘yung trabaho namin,” she said. “Kaya it's always a message of gratitude every time a survey comes out whether or not number one ako o hindi,” she added. In February this year, Duterte announced her plan to run for president in the 2028 national elections.