MANILA, Philippines — Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio sees a possible tandem between presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr “in the end.”
According to Carpio, a team-up between Duterte-Carpio and Marcos appears to be the strongest team for the administration at this point.
“There is still a possibility, and I think it is probable that it will be a team-up with Sara Duterte and Bongbong in the end because that would appear to be the strongest team and logically that will be the direction,” he told the 1Sambayan’s online forum on Friday.
“But of course we cannot say for certain because everything is fluid at this time. We don’t know exactly if he (Marcos) will run for president or slide down to vice, but we know he is running for a national office,” he added.
Carpio said Duterte-Carpio “appears to be the strongest administration bet at this time” considering presidential surveys where she was floated as the most preferred candidate.
However, the retired High Court justice noted that survey results at this time of the year do not reflect the results of the elections.
“The surveys at this time of the year are not reflected in the election results. Those who are leading at this time of the year have always lost in the elections. So we cannot make any definitive conclusion that because you are leading now, you will win,” he said.
Duterte-Carpio earlier said she would not seek the presidency despite leading in election surveys. She said she and her father President Rodrigo Duterte have agreed that only one of them will run for a national position in 2022.
But Carpio pointed out that the Davao City mayor can still run if the President will withdraw his bid for the vice presidency. To recall, President Duterte earlier accepted the nomination of the PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi to run for vice president.
“She said she is not running because the father is running for vice president, but if the father withdraws, then that barrier or impediment will be gone and theoretically, logically, she can run again,” said Carpio.
The Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, meanwhile, has endorsed Marcos as its presidential candidate in next year’s polls.