MANILA – Defeated vice presidential candidate and former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Friday he plans to seek a national position in the 2022 elections.

Marcos, who lost his electoral protest against Vice President Leni Robredo in February, did not specify yet the position he is seeking and said he remains open to a tandem with Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is said to be eyeing the presidency.

Marcos is the only son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, whose regime was marked by killings, human rights violations and a plunder of state coffers.

"I’m certainly going to run for a national position but I always say, siguro narinig niyo na sa akin ito pero uulitin ko, that ang payo talaga sa atin lalong lalo na sa pulitika is to keep my options open, and this is a very funny, very strange and unusual political situation we find ourselves in because it’s an election in the middle of a pandemic," he told a National Press Club forum.

Marcos also said he and Mayor Duterte-Carpio did not discuss their tandem when they met for her birthday last May but he did tell her he will start going around and that they should stay in touch.

— RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News (@RG_Cruz12479) August 6, 2021

Marcos met Duterte-Carpio in her Davao hometown in late May. He said, however, that no decision was made in the said meeting and that they only promised to keep in touch.

• Imee Marcos confirms Bongbong, Sara Duterte meeting in Davao, denies discussing 2022 polls

“Hindi namin napag-usapan 'yung mga kombinasyon. Basta nagtatanong, ano ba talaga plano, ano ba gusto mo gawin? O sige basta sabi ko, ako mangangamapaniya ako, iikot ako kasi kahit ano gawin ko kasi, kailangan ko i-solidify ulit 'yung ating mga kaibigan, 'yung ating mga kaalyado. But 'yun na lang, let's just always be in touch, let’s always talk," he said.

Recent pre-election surveys place Marcos behind Duterte-Carpio as the Filipinos’ most preferred presidential candidate for next year’s polls.

• Sara Duterte-Carpio most preferred as presidential bet in 2022 polls— Pulse Asia

Marcos ran for vice president in 2016. He lost to Robredo, then filed an electoral protest after alleging that electoral fraud took place in some areas.

In February, after more than five years, the Supreme Court voted unanimously to junk his electoral protest.

• SC junks Bongbong Marcos' poll protest vs Vice President Robredo

He has since appealed to the high court to reconsider its ruling.

• Bongbong asks PET to reconsider ruling junking election protest vs VP Robredo

Marcos called on his critics "not to let their hatred overwhelm their humanity" as he prepares to start his campaign.

“Those people, don’t let your... kung minsan ang aaasim, anghang magsalita na wala naman koneksyon sa usapan. And so I always try to send the message to them, don’t let your hate overwhelm your humanity, pagka-Filipino, pagmamahal niyo sa bansa dahil galit kayo sa isang tao."

"'Yun na lang 'yun, kalimutan niyo muna, tulungan niyo muna ang tao, tulungan niyo muna 'yung bansa. I suppose some of them think that's the way of helping but hating people is not a productive exercise,” he said.

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