MANILA - Former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will surely run in 2022, but is still in a "wait and see" mode as there seems to be a "stampede" of candidates in the 2022 national elections, Marcos' sister, Senator Imee Marcos said Thursday.

Former President Ferdinand Marcos' son earlier said that he will run for public office in 2022, but has yet to decide if he will gun for a national or local post.

"Yung posisyon, di ko alam kasi di pa kami nag-uusap... [Pero] Alam ko tatakbo siya kasi unemployed siya. Luto na lang nang luto, blog nang blog," Sen. Marcos told Senate reporters in a press briefing.

(What position, I do not know yet because we haven't spoken... But I know he will run because he is unemployed. He just cooks a lot and blogs a lot.)

"Wait and see pa rin si Bongbong. Ang layo pa e... Ang daming kandidato, parang stampede ito ng 2022," she said.

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MARCOS MAGIC?

The senator declined to comment if she prefers a national or local post for her brother, saying their mother and "consultant" - former first lady Imelda Marcos - has yet give her advice.

"Siya ang oracle. Siya ang mas marunong," she said.

Though Bongbong suffered an election defeat against Vice President Leni Robredo in 2016, Senator Marcos said she is confident that he can still land a victory in the next national polls.

"Sa Metro Manila, Region 8, talagang sumisipa pa rin [ang boto para sa Marcos]," she said.

"Whether it is [Marcos] magic or hardwork or kinship, certainly there is a bloc of loyalist voters that we are grateful for," she said.

POSSIBLE CONTENDERS

Sen. Marcos said it was also too soon to tell which politicians will vie for the presidential or vice presidential seat, but noted that "a lot" of personalities have indirectly expressed intentions to run in 2022.

"Maraming malalakas, sobrang daming malalakas. Dito sa Senado lang ang dami nila," she said, without identifying certain lawmakers.

(There are many strong contenders. In Senate alone, there are many hopefuls.)

While Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte remains to be the "strongest" contender, President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter's uncertain stand on succeeding her father should also be considered, the senator said.

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"I can't blame her. She has a very young family. She loves Davao and she is very committed, and she doesn't want to leave it in others' hands," she said.