Second District Rep. Aris Aumentado on Monday said he has no plans of running for governor in the 2022 elections amid speculations that the last-term lawmaker is eyeing the province’s top government post.

“Wa jud koy plano mo dagon pagkagobernador,” Aumentado told the media after the launch of the Ralph Laurence Gabuya Foundation, Inc. at Casi Verde sin Panglao.

According to Aumentado, he has not made any plans for the 2022 elections.

He said government officials should focus first on addressing issues related to the ongoing pandemic, not on politics.

“Naa pa tas pandemya karon hilanglan ta magfocus unsaon pag tabang sa atong mga kaigsuonan tungod kay lisod kaayo, untimely kaayo ng maghisgot ta og politika karong panahuna,” he said.

However, Aumentado did not fully dismiss the possibility of him running for governor as he noted that his political plans would depend on national officials’ decision on who they will tap to run for a particular post.

The solon noted that the scenario for the 2022 Presidential Election remains uncertain even at the national level due to the health crisis.

Meanwhile, he brushed off political intrigues which started when his name emerged as among possible gubernatorial candidates.

“Di nato malikayan kay sila basin pud og naguol sila na naay mga estorya na kita gidungog na magpapila pagkagobernador mao tingali naa silay gihimo na reaction towards nato pero sa akong kabahin di sila angay maguol kay wa gyud ko modeklarar na mo dagan ta og gobernador,” he added.

Should Aumentado decide to run for governor, he will be facing Gov. Art Yap who has already declared that he will run for reelection.

Yap who won by a slim margin over former Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, Jr. during the 2019 polls is on his first term. (A. Doydora)