Palace: Duterte needs more time to pick successor

Malacañang on Friday said President Rodrigo Duterte needs more time before deciding on his choice of successor.

Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles made the response amid calls from the tandem of former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and his running mate, President Duterte's daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, for the administration allies to support them in next year's elections. 

The tandem, dubbed as UniTeam, made the call after the President's long time aide and Senator Christopher "Bong" Go  announced that he will be withdrawing from the 2022 presidential race. 

"Si Pangulo (The President) has options, has choices he has to make. Let us give him time to make those decisions...the leeway kung kelan niya iyon gusto gawin (on when he wants to do it)," Nograles said.

"Let us just wait for the President to make any announcement with regard to that matter. He has options,  and it is up to them to reveal his choice when the time comes," Nograles added.

The campaign period for the 2022 polls starts on February 9, 2022.

Go initially filed candidacy for vice president under the PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi but withdrew and instead filed a COC for president under Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS).

Go sought to run for president under PDDS via substitution after President Duterte's daughter Sara Duterte filed her COC for vice president under Lakas-CMD.

While he has announced his withdrawal from the presidential race, Go has yet to personally appear before the Commission on Elections to withdraw his candidacy for president in the 2022 elections.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez earlier said a personal appearance is needed to withdraw the certificate of candidacy. — Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA News