Duterte says he still has no presidential bet

With only a few weeks before Eleksyon 2022, President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday maintained that he was remaining neutral as regards the presidential race.

In a meeting with the national and regional task forces to end the local armed conflict in Lapu-lapu City, Duterte said he was not endorsing any presidential candidate.

"I am not supporting any presidential candidate. Neutral ako," Duterte said. 

"I am not campaigning  for any particular candidate," he stressed.

Duterte made the remark days after a faction of the ruling PDP-Laban endorsed the presidential candidacy of former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the standard bearer of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.

A picture of him and Marcos in Malacanang also made the rounds in the social media.

Marcos is running alongside Duterte's daughter, Sara, the mayor of Davao City and who's running for vice president under Lakas-CMD.

Earlier this month, Duterte said that the next Philippine president should be compassionate and preferably a lawyer.

Of the 10 presidential hopefuls, only Vice President Leni Robredo and Dr. Jose Montemayor are lawyers.

Malacañang on March 22 said it was unsure if Duterte supported the decision of the Cusi faction of the PDP-Laban to endorse Marcos.

While still mum on his preferred presidential bet, Duterte said he would not hesitate to "proclaim" local officials actively fighting illegal drugs and communist rebels.

"Iyong lahat ng mayors lalo na fighting the communists, active masyado, hindi ako makasabi na botohan mo sila, bawal man," he said, then added in jest in Visayan language: "Kisay pang mayor ang gusto magpa-endorse?"

(Who among the mayors want endorsement?)

"Basta kalaban niyo mga komunista pati droga, proclaim ko kayo," he said.

He added that while there may be Commission on Election guidelines related to endorsing candidates, he said these cannot 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," he said.

In Valencia City, Bukidnon, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said Duterte's endorsement of Marcos' candidacy would be just a formality.

“Yes, personally coming from him wala pa siyang sinasabi pero our political party, PDP-Laban, officially endorsed BBM-Sara already,” Dela Rosa said.

“Well ‘yung pagsabi naman ni Pangulo is a, correct me if I’m wrong, formality na lang ‘yun kasi nga being the chairman of the PDP-Laban Cusi wing, hindi naman siguro basta basta mag decide ‘yung Cusi wing na doon sa PDP-Laban kung walang blessing coming from the chairman,” he added. —Mel Matthew Doctor with a report from Anna Felicia Bajo/NB/LDF, GMA News