DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Mayor Rodrigo Duterte shrugged off yesterday talks of a reported tandem between him and Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the 2016 presidential polls.
The Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) has formed an alliance with the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka (PMM) and they have been pushing for Marcos to run for president with Duterte as his vice president in next year’s elections.
But Duterte said in his weekly “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” television program that there is no such team-up.
“Hay, Ginoo ko (Oh, my God),” Duterte quipped when asked anew about his political plans.
He said he has not forged any political arrangement with Marcos.
“I am too old for that. I am retiring from politics by that time,” the mayor said.
Duterte and Marcos met here in Davao City for a number of times and the senator even guested in the mayor’s weekly TV show in the past.
Duterte said he is not seeking any higher office when he steps down as mayor next year.
Meanwhile, the KBL and PMM would set up their coalition headquarters near the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Intramuros, Manila to keep watch on possible electoral fraud next year, a party official said yesterday. – With Perseus Echeminada