President Duterte said that he still has no presidential bet.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE — The Philippine President said that he’s not supporting any presidential candidate for the 2022 elections.
With only a few weeks before the 2022 elections, the President maintained that he’s remaining neutral as regards the presidential race.
On Thursday, the President said in a meeting with the national and regional task forces to end the local armed conflict in Lapu-Lapu City that he wasn’t endorsing any presidential candidate.
“Let me reiterate, nandito man ang media, I am not supporting any presidential candidate. Neutral ako,” the President said. “So this is not a campaign because I am not campaigning for any particular candidate.“
The President made the remark days after a faction of the ruling PDP-Laban party endorsed the presidential candidacy of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the running mate of presidential daughter Sara Duterte. A photo of him and the former senator in Malacanang also made the rounds in social media.
Earlier this month, the President said that the next Chief Executive should be compassionate and preferably a lawyer. Of the 10 presidential candidates, only Dr. Jose Montemayor and Vice President Leni Robredo are lawyers.
Last March 22, Malacañang said that it wasn’t sure if the President supported the decision of the Cusi faction of the PDP-Laban party to endorse the former senator.
READ ALSO: President Duterte and Bongbong Marcos Met in Malacañang?
While still mum on his preferred presidential bet, the President said that he wouldn’t hesitate to “proclaim” local officials actively fighting illegal drugs and communist rebels.
The President added that while there may be COMELEC (Commission on Elections) guidelines related to endorsing political candidates, he said those can’t prevent “freedom of expression”.
“Whatever the Comelec would really, marami dito abugado, you cannot prevent a Filipino the basic right of freedom of expression, hindi mo talaga maano ‘yan, you cannot prevent it, sa totoo lang,” the President said.
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