Marcos says he's had 'many, many' informal talks with President Duterte's party

MANILA— The son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos said on Friday heading a 2022 ticket with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio was "out of the question" for now.

President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter earlier this September said she would not run for the highest elective post next year because of her father's bid for the vice presidency.

Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said while Duterte-Carpio "has all the opportunity to change her mind," the mayor typically stands by her pronouncements.

"Kadalasan naman si Inday Sara ‘pag nagsalita, may isang salita ‘yan e," Marcos told online Friday News Forum.

(Usually, when Inday Sara speaks, she stands by her words.)

"Iyang mga tambalan na ‘yan, siguro out of the question muna ‘yan kasi wala na si Inday Sara," he added.

(The tandem with Inday Sara is perhaps out of the question for now because Inday Sara is out.)

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The Marcos and Duterte families are known to be friends, with the Davao mayor's grandfather, Vicente Duterte, having served in late strongman Ferdinand Marcos' cabinet.

Duterte's father, President Rodrigo Duterte, allowed the late dictator's burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in November 2016 despite protests.

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On Friday, just three days since the anniversary of Marcos' martial law declaration in 1972, the party he founded, Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), nominated Marcos Jr. as its 2022 presidential bet.

Marcos said he was "very, very close to announcing" which national post he would seek.

He said he was still seeking alliances for the polls and talking to "everybody who is the mix," including the rival PDP-Laban factions headed by President Duterte and Sen. Manny Pacquiao.

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Pacquiao last weekend declared his presidential run, weeks after a falling out with Duterte over corruption allegations against the government and the latter's policy on the West Philippine Sea. The boxing icon also opposed Duterte's vice presidential bid.

Marcos said while he had no formal negotiations with PDP-Laban, "there had been many, many informal talks because on both sides."

"Puro kaibigan ko naman lahat ‘yan e," he said. "Matagal na kaming nag-uusap… It’s something that’s just ongoing."

(They are all my friends. We have been talking for a long time.)

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Asked if he was ready to run for vice president and face off with Duterte, Marcos said, "I don’t know kung paano aabot sa ganoon dahil magkaalyado naman kami."

"Siguro ‘yong mga ganiyang klase ng conflict, mapapag-uusapan namin, mariresolba namin before it comes to the actual election."

(I don't know how it will come to that because we are allies. Perhaps when it comes to that kind of conflict, we can talk it out, resolve it, before it comes to the actual election.)

"Although vice presidential candidate si Presidente, it doesn’t preclude me from running for any national position. Puwede pa rin ako sa lahat," he added.

(Although the President is a ice presidential candidate, it doesn’t preclude me from running for any national position. I am still up for everything.)

Marcos, 64, is a former governor, congressman, and senator.

Since returning to the Philippines in 1991 from a 5-year exile in Hawaii after his father's overthrow in a "People Power" uprising, the Marcos family has been trying to rebuild its image, which was tainted by his father's brutal 1970s martial law era and billions of dollars of plundered wealth. The family denies any wrongdoing.

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Duterte previously allowed the hero's burial of the Marcos patriarch and praised the late dictator's leadership.

Marcos' nomination as presidential bet comes just 3 days after the 49th anniversary of his father's martial law declaration.

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— With a report from Reuters