MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he is not supporting any candidate for President in the 2022 national polls.

In a speech during the joint meeting of the national and regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in Lapu-Lapu City, Duterte said he remains neutral.

This, even after his faction of political party PDP Laban earlier endorsed the candidacy of the running mate of his daughter, former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

• Duterte PDP-Laban wing endorses Bongbong Marcos for president

"I am not supporting any Presidential candidate. Neutral ako. So this is not a campaign because I am not campaigning for any particular candidate. So stop *fu****g* with me, kasi ito hindi pulitika,” Duterte said.

The president made the statement on the same day that he is set to begin campaign activities for PDP-Laban bets in Cebu.

“Siyempre, nandito ako, magmagandang loob ako, itong lahat na tumatakbo ngayong eleksyon, sana manalo sila,” he said.

Duterte's PDP-Laban faction last week formally endorsed Marcos, Jr.'s presidential bid, even as the party was originally built to fight his father's dictatorship.

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