Malacañang on Thursday bared President Rodrigo Duterte’s five “options” to be his successor in 2022, and the list includes his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
In a virtual presser, Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque said the president was considering Sara, Sen. Manny Pacquiao, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and top aide Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.
However, Roque stressed that Duterte had yet to make a final decision.
“Noong kinausap ko siya diyan e wala pa po siyang desisyon. Mayroon lang mga options talaga siyang sinabi at as of now, nakatutok pa rin ang presidente po dito sa pandemya, sa bakuna,” Roque said.
The Palace spokesman also said that Duterte remained opposed to the idea of his daughter running for the presidency.
“As of last Monday, may tumawag po sa kaniya…at ang sinabi po niya, hindi pa rin daw po tatakbo si Mayor Inday Sara. At ang rekomendasyon nga po daw niya ay huwag siyang tumakbo. So that’s the latest I heard from the president’s own mouth,” Roque said.
Pacquiao is the acting president of Duterte’s party, PDP-Laban.
The party recently urged Duterte to run for vice president in 2022 and gave him power to select his presidential running mate.
Duterte’s six-year term as president will end on June 30, 2021. John Ezekiel J. Hirro