President Rodrigo Duterte may still support Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s possible presidential bid in 2022 despite the chief executive’s recent tirades, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque made the statement just a day after Duterte said he could campaign against the PDP-Laban president if the latter’s claims of corruption within the administration went unproven.

“Hindi naman po definitely [out] because in the realm of politics, although I’m not a veteran person in politics, anything is possible. But for now, mainit po,” Roque said in his virtual presser.

During his “Talk to the Nation” broadcast on Monday, Duterte dared Pacquiao to prove his claim that corruption in the country worsened under Duterte’s presidency.

“Maglista ka, Pacquiao, at sinasabi mong two times kaming corrupt, ilista mo ‘yong mga tao at opisina — at dapat nilista mo na ‘yon at ibigay mo sa akin.‘Di ba ang sabi ko noon, if you come to know that there is a corruption, let me know…Ganoon ang dapat ginawa mo,” Duterte said.

“If you fail to do that, I will campaign against you because you are not doing your duty. Do it, because if not, I will just tell the people: ‘Do not vote for Pacquiao because he is a liar,’” Duterte added.

Pacquiao on Tuesday doubled down on his claim, asserting that he was not a liar, and said he would expose corruption in government agencies, starting with the Department of Health (DOH).

“May mga naging pagkakamali ako sa buhay na aking itinuwid at itinama nguni’t dalawang bagay ang kaya kong panghawakan: Hindi ako tiwali at hindi ako sinungaling,” he said in response to Duterte.

“Tinatanggap ko ang hamon ng Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Salamat po at binigyan nyo kami ng pagkakataon na tumulong sa inyo at bigyan kayo ng mga impormasyon para kampanya kontra korapsyon,” he added.

Pacquiao also challenged Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to an audit of the DOH.

“Nakakalungkot na sa isyu ng korapsyon kami magtatalo, dahil ang kailangan ng bansa ay mga lider na magtutulungan laban dito,” the boxer added.

Duterte chairs PDP-Laban. Pacquiao is the party’s president.

The boxer-turned-politician is expected to seek the presidency in 2022, while Duterte is being pushed by party members to run for the vice presidency. John Ezekiel J. Hirro