MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte will start campaigning for the national and local candidates of his PDP-Laban faction starting March 25, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said Friday.

In a statement, Cusi, who heads the PDP-Laban wing backed by the President, said they would also bare the party's "11-point Agenda for Continuity" during their proclamation rally on the said date.

• READ: Duterte-backed PDP-Laban faction adopts Sara as VP bet

PDP-Laban has 6,592 national and local candidates in the upcoming May 9 polls, Cusi added.

"As Chairman of the PDP Laban, President Duterte will be taking a more proactive role to promote its... national and local candidates these coming weeks of the campaign period," the energy secretary said.

Cusi's PDP faction in January adopted vice-presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio as their VP bet.

It was not immediately clear though if the President would campaign for his daughter or if he would be present in her campaign sorties too. The media is seeking comment from the PDP faction on the matter.

Meanwhile, the following will be the PDP wing's focus for the "continuity of all President Duterte’s legacy programs":

- Fight against corruption
- Eradication of poverty
- Advancement of peace and order
- Ending the pandemic
- Defeating communist terrorism in the country
- Sustaining economic growth
- Generation of jobs
- Strengthening national defense and foreign relations
- Educational reforms
- Decentralization and local government empowerment
- Charter change and Federalism

Duterte last week reiterated that he has yet to decide whether to endorse a presidential candidate this upcoming elections as he would like to stay neutral as much as possible.

• READ: Duterte says not yet endorsing successor in #Halalan2022
• READ: Rival suspects effort to delay Halalan 2022 after Duterte ally seeks to reopen COC filing

Duterte's long-time aide, Sen. Christopher Go, earlier filed a certificate of candidacy as the substitute standard-bearer of a different party, the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS).

In December though, Go withdrew from the presidential race, leaving Duterte without an anointed successor.

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