Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 14) — President Rodrigo Duterte said he would soon give the reason why he cannot back Senator Manny Pacquiao and Bongbong Marcos Jr. in their bids for the presidency.
“I’m just asking for a few more hours at masasabi ko na kung ano ang talagang totoo; sa kampanya sabihin ko kung bakit hindi ako pwedeng magsuporta kay Marcos, ganoon din kay Pacquiao at sa iba,” Duterte said in an interview streamed shown early Sunday on the Banat By Youtube page.
[Translation: I’m just asking for a few more hours and I’ll be able to say what the truth is; during the campaign I wilI say why I cannot support Marcos, as well as Pacquiao and the others.]
Duterte also said he would only be backing Senator Bong Go.
“Hindi talaga ako magsuporta sa kanya (Pacquiao). Hindi rin ako magsuporta kay Marcos… Basta ako kay Bong.”
[Translation: I am not supporting him, I am also not supporting Marcos… I am backing Bong.]
Duterte and Pacquiao met last week, months after a rift in their political party PDP-Laban was made public. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque downplayed it as a “friendly meeting… a reunion of sorts between two leaders from Mindanao.”
The President also revelaed that he urged Go to run for president, after the latter said he would drop his bid for vice presidenf after Davao City mayor Sara Duterte filed a bid for the same position.
“Sabi niya, tatakbo si Inday, magwiwithdraw na lang siya, ayaw na niya. Sabi ko bakit ganoon, nakaumpisa ka na, di tumakbo ka na lang ng president. Eh ganoon lang pala ang gagawin sa iyo e, o di kasahan na. Tingnan natin,” he said.
[Translation: He said Inday was going to run and he would withdraw, that he didn’t want to go ahead with it anymore. I said why, you’ve already started, why not not just for president. If that’s what’s going to happen, do it and then we’ll see.]
On Saturday, Go withdrew his bid for the vice presidency under PDP-Laban and subsequently filed his candidacy for president under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS).
Duterte said he did not know his daughter would run for the second highest position on the country, but added he was “sure” this was decided between her and Marcos.
READ: Sara Duterte runs for vice president in 2022 as substitute
