Manila: Senator Allan Peter Cayetano has declared his bid for the vice presidency on Tuesday.

However, it remains unclear what political party or coalition he would be running under in the 2016 national election.

During a political gathering in Davao City on Tuesday, Cayetano emphasised his support for the adoption of a federal form of political administration as against the present unitary-presidential system.

He said that while he believes in Benigno Aquino III’s “Daang Matuwid” or Straight Path principle in governance and had supported “90 per cent of his programmes including the Bangsamoro Basic Law,” a lot more needs to be done to make these programmes work for the benefit of more people. He said he sees this is only possible with the adoption of a federal form of government.

Using Davao City as an example and his former congressional district Taguig City as models for governance ideals, the young Cayetano said the country could achieve still more.

“Here in Davao City and Taguig City (his congressional district when he was a congressman), and for the whole of the country, we have seen that change and progress can be achieved if we fight for what is right and eradicate corruption … If we have clear policies and can enforce discipline,” he said.

“For the record, I will not sacrifice my principles for politics or for any position in government, nor did the President asked me to do so,” the 44-year-old lawmaker, a younger sibling of Senator Pia Cayetano, said.

“That is why calls by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (of Davao City) and Senator Koko Pimentel for Federalism are growing louder. That is why calls for decongesting Metro Manila and decentralising power are gaining ground,” he said.

Duterte had repeatedly said that he has no plans to run for president, however, during a recent event last Sunday in Manila, thousands of supporters braved the heat to show their solidarity to calls for him to run in the elections.

Cayetano is Secretary General of the Nacionalista Party (NP) which is led by Senator Cynthia Villar. But up to now, there is still no clear word from the party — one of the oldest in the country — whom it will be supporting.

Senator Francis Escudero, who is presidential candidate Grace Poe’s running mate, is also from the Nacionalista Party as well as Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

However, political insiders said NP will likely support Cayetano.

Duterte, Pimentel as former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, had been calling for the adoption of federalism to provide the country with a more equitable distribution of wealth and development.

Since the Philippines has become a republic, all aspects of governance had been “Manila centric” leaving other areas of the country — except the cities — with little to show in the way of development.

“And I am praying for a President who will make us all proud and bring true change to Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,” said Cayetano.