President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio in the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) Thanksgiving Night at the Peninsula Manila in Makati City on June 24, 2019 RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Malacañang on Monday dismissed claims that President Rodrigo Duterte plans to run as vice president in case his daughter, Sara, seeks the nation’s highest post in the 2022 national elections.

In a Palace briefing, Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque said the president was “eager” to conclude his presidency and return to his hometown.

Asked about the possible Duterte-Duterte tandem, Roque said: “Ang pagkakaalam ko po eh atat na atat na si presidenteng matapos ang kaniyang termino’t gusto na niyang umuwi dito sa Davao.”

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo has repeatedly brought up the idea of the Duterte-Duterte tandem in his program Counterpoint. In an episode aired in September, he said the duo would be “unbeatable.”

“Between us, ‘wag niyo na lang sasabihin sa iba, ha? Sikreto. Gusto ko itong presidente na ito tumakbong Bise-Presidente sa kanyang tatakbo – o pinatatakbo rin – na anak na si Mayor Sara Duterte sa presidente. Oh, ‘di ba? Ang ganda! Duterte-Duterte. Wala na. Patay ang oposisyon pag tumakbo ang dalawang ito,” he said.

But Roque said Panelo was merely expressing his opinion.

“Iyong Duterte-Duterte tandem po na sinasabi ni Secretary Panelo, iyan po ay kaniyang personal na opinyon. Pakitanong na lang po si Secretary Panelo because I have no authority to speak for him,” he said.

During the campaign period for the 2016 elections, Duterte had repeatedly said he was not willing to make a run for the presidency before eventually announcing his presidential bid. John Ezekiel J. Hirro