Bongbong Marcos: Duterte promised to support me

DECLARING his solo quest for the vice presidency, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos on Monday said Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has promised to support him.

Clarifying that he was not teaming up with leading presidential candidates, Marcos said he flew to Davao City on Wednesday for a consultation with Duterte.

“He was gracious enough to promise me his support should I decide to run for vice president. I, too, will support Mayor Duterte if and when he runs for president,” Marcos said in a statement.

But the tough-talking Duterte, who has repeatedly dismissed the idea of running for president, has not made a decision yet.

After his supporters gathered at the Luneta Park to urge him to run as president, Duterte asked for more time to do “final soul-searching with myself and with my family.”

Duterte has until October 16, the deadline for filing of certificate of candidacy for next year’s general election, to declare his plans for 2016

Marcos is the fifth to declare intention to run for vice president.

Earlier Monday, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, the widow of Interior Secretary Jessie Robredo, was formally announced as the running mate of Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

The son and namesake of former President Ferdinand Marcos was initially open to the idea of running with presidential aspirant Vice President Jejomar Binay, who doesn’t have a running mate yet.

But Marcos said the team-up with Binay did not push through because of their sharp political differences.

“Regarding Vice President Jejomar Binay, I was invited to be his vice-presidential candidate. There were initial talks between our supporters.  But any team-up with the Vice President must be rooted on a shared vision for our country, a common platform of government as well as political perspectives,” he said.

Make or break

Marcos’ bid for the vice presidency was seen as a make or break for the son of the late dictator whose term as a senator will end in 2016.

Marcos’ rivals – Senators Francis Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV – have three more years to spend in the Senate and Robredo is giving away her seat in the House of Representatives.

Marcos, who has been public servant for 26 years, said he is banking on the people for his political career.

“I have decided to put my political fortune in the hands of the Filipino people,” he said.

“I humbly ask them to judge whether or not I am worthy of their trust to be Vice President on the strength of my performance as a public servant in the last 26 years: first as former Vice Governor and Governor of Ilocos Norte, then as Representative of the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte and, finally, as Senator of the country.”