Duterte says Imee wants to be Sara's running mate in Eleksyon 2022

President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that Senator Imee Marcos went to Davao City “hoping” that she would be tapped as the running mate of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte should the latter run for president in 2022.

“Si Imee ganito ang laro niyan eh. pinuntahan niya si Mayor Duterte sa Davao hoping na magtakbo yun siya ang maging bise. Eh hindi naman tatakbo, sabi ni Mayor Sara Duterte hindi siya magtakbo,” he said during his weekly address aired on Tuesday.

Senator Marcos, daughter of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, earlier said her brother, former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., running with Sara Duterte would be a "marriage made in heaven."

Sara, the President's daughter, has yet to decide on her political plans for 2022 but has said that she is open to running for president.

Malacañang said last week that Duterte's intention to seek the vice presidency in the 2022 elections was under the perception that Sara will not run for president.

Malacañang has also said Duterte will honor his promise to ditch his plan to seek the vice presidency in 2022 if ever House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez will run for the same post.

Romualdez, however, has yet to express intention to run for vice president in 2022. 

Favor for the Marcoses

During the briefing, Duterte questioned the ongoing Senate investigation into the Health Department's P67-billion deficit spending of COVID-19 response funds, including the P42 billion transferred to the Department of Budget and Management.

Duterte then reminded Marcos of the favors that he did for her family.

"May ginawa ako para sa inyo... Nagpasalamat kayo... You were thanking me to high heavens, what did I say? Trabaho ko 'yan," he said.

"Ngayon, alam na ninyo 'yan kung ano but someday, later on, eh eleksyon, maaga ang banatan so 'yong iba diyan na may tinatago, lalabas din ito lahat," he added.

Marcos was among the senators who questioned the transfer of P42.4 billion funds to the DBM-PS for the procurement of personal protective equipment including the face masks and face shields in 2020. —KBK/RSJ/NB, GMA News