MANILA (UPDATE) - President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday he would rather have former Sen. Bongbong Marcos or Sen. Francis Escudero as his replacement instead of Vice President Leni Robredo.

This, as Duterte again belittled the capabilities of his constitutional successor.

“I think deep in my heart, if you follow the succession and Robredo takes over, hindi niya kaya (she can't do it)," Duterte said in a speech before members of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) on Tuesday night.

"Kung na sino lang sana diyan, in the likes of Escudero or Bongbong Marcos,” he added.

(If only it were the likes of Escudero or Bongbong Marcos.)

• Duterte prefers military junta over Robredo

Both Escudero and Marcos ran for vice president in the 2016 national elections but lost to Robredo.

Duterte on Tuesday revealed that he is thinking of stepping down, with four years more left in his term.

He cited frustration over continuing corruption in government.

"My chase against graft and corruption seems to be endless and it has contaminated almost all government departments and offices,” the President said in a separate speech on Tuesday.

• Duterte mulls stepping down

In response, Robredo's spokesperson Barry Gutierrez emphasized that both Escudero and Marcos lost during the elections.

He even twitted the President for not mentioning Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, who ran alongside him during the 2016 polls.

"Tatlong bagay lang. Una, 155,000 na pamilya ang natulungan ni VP Leni, na walang anomalya, walang kurakot, at habang walang puwesto sa Cabinet. Pangalawa, pasensiya na siya, pero talo si BBM (Marcos) at Chiz (Escudero) nung eleksyon. Pangatlo, hanggang dito ba naman nakalimutan pa rin si Alan?" Gutierrez said in a tweet Wednesday.

(Just 3 things: First, VP Leni has helped 155,000 without corruption and anomalies and without a position in the Cabinet. Second, sorry but BBM and Chiz lost during the elections. Third, even here Alan was forgotten?)