President Rodrigo Duterte and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte is likely to step down if former senator and defeated vice presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wins his electoral protest against Vice President Leni Robredo.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Thursday (August 16) said Duterte wants a “better qualified” successor as he has been worried if someone “incompetent” would replace him.
“He had said that he thinks that Senator Bongbong Marcos is one of the better-qualified leaders to succeed him. If there’s development and he will win the protest, then he becomes vice president, yes, he will make true his words. If he (Marcos) becomes vice president, perhaps, the President will make true his word, he will step down,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said during Wednesday’s press briefing (August 16).
On Tuesday, the President openly named Marcos or Senator Chiz Escudero as his preferred successors if ever he steps down as president.
“I think deep in my heart if you follow the succession and Robredo takes over, hindi niya kaya. That’s my honest opinion. Kung sino lang sana diyan, in the likes of Escudero or Bongbong Marcos,” Duterte said during his meeting with members of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas in Malacanang.
Duterte said he was tired with his seemingly “endless” fight against graft and corruption that “has contaminated almost all government departments and offices.”
Roque clarified, however, that Duterte remains the President and would not be resigning anytime soon.
In April, Marcos filed an electoral protest against Robredo claiming the vice presidential race in 2016 was manipulated causing him to lose against Robredo by around 263,000 votes.
Meanwhile, Robredo’s camp remains confident that Marcos will never become the president on this nation.
“Insofar as we are concerned, President Duterte’s resignation will never happen because Mr. Marcos will never win his electoral protest,” ended Atty. Romulo Macalintal, Robredo’s Lead Counsel. – Rosalie Coz / Marje Pelayo
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