President Rodrigo Duterte has raised the possibility of former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. being his second in command if the late dictator’s son and namesake would win his electoral protest against Vice President Leni Robredo.
This was how Duterte introduced Marcos in his speech before a gathering of Filipinos in Beijing, China where he is currently on a state visit.
“Si Bingbong… Bongbong… Kung manalo siya sa protest niya, baka bago ang ating bise president (Bongbong could be our new vice president if he wins his [electoral] protest),” Duterte said.
The President’s remark elicited applause and cheers from the Filipino crowd.
Marcos, accompanied by her sister Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee, joined Duterte and other officials on the stage. The Marcos siblings were not on the initial list of the Philippine delegation, which included Cabinet members and incumbent lawmakers.
Duterte has been very vocal on his alliance with the Marcoses since the campaign period. Recently, he thanked Imee for supporting and donating funds for his presidential bid, but the governor denied that she shelled out money for Duterte’s campaign.
Duterte was also hesitant in giving Robredo a Cabinet post, saying he did not want to offend the feelings of his friend Marcos.
READ: ‘No compelling reason for me to give Leni a Cabinet post’ – Rody
Robredo, who was eventually appointed as housing czar, edged Marcos by over 200,000 votes in the vice presidential race.
Despite strong opposition from martial law victims and the general public, Duterte was also pushing for a hero’s burial for the Marcos patriarch, the preparations for which were temporarily stopped by the Supreme Court. RAM/rga