President Rodrigo Duterte. Screengrab from PCOO / Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte insisted on Thursday that he is neutral in the May 9 elections.
This, despite the endorsement of his party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for president.
“Let me reiterate… I am not supporting any presidential candidate, neutral ako (I’m neutral),” he said during the joint meeting of the National Task Force and Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in Cebu.
“So, this is not a campaign, because I am not campaigning for any particular candidate. So stop with me. Kasi ito hindi ito politika (This is not politics),” he added.
Duterte recently met with Marcos Jr. and gave advice on the presidency, according to the president’s ally Senator Bong Go.
While Duterte has not made any endorsement, he earlier said that he wants a president that is decisive, compassionate, and a good judge of a person, preferably a lawyer.