MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte has no intention of influencing the decision of an electoral tribunal when he said he wants former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to succeed him if he steps down, a Palace official said Friday.

Duterte earlier said Vice-President Leni Robredo does not have what it takes to run a country, but added that he might resign if Marcos or Senator Francis Escudero would be named as his replacement.

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"I think that was more of a comparison between the vice president and Mr. Marcos given the qualifications that the two have," Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo told ANC's Early Edition.

"He just wants to compare this particular person to another," he said.

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Robredo defeated Marcos in the 2016 vice presidential race by 263,473 votes, but a recount is ongoing after the former senator asked the Presidential Electoral Tribunal to invalidate Robredo’s poll victory in 2016.

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Panelo said Duterte has no power over other constitutional bodies handling Marcos' election case against Robredo.

"The president's statements on matters pending in any court will not affect that particular jurisdiction with respect to any decision it will make," he said.

Robredo earlier said she intends to serve office until 2022, when her vice presidential term expires.

• Robredo on Duterte floating Marcos succession: I am elected to serve until 2022