A Duterte-Duterte tandem may score a "landslide win" in the 2022 presidential elections if the people could convince both father and daughter to run together.
This is the fearless forecast of Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on the poll results should Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio and her father President Duterte decide to join forces in next year's presidential elections.
Panelo was discussing the target completion of some major infrastructure projects pursued by the government when he mentioned anew the proposed Duterte-Duterte presidential ticket. The Palace official first floated the idea a few months ago as President Duterte’s term started to wind down.
"Tapos na term ni Presidente 'yun, most likely baka term na ni Inday Sara kung mahikayat ng sambayanang Pilipino na ito'y tumakbo (The President's term is over by then. Mostly likely, it will be the term of Inday Sara if the Filipino nation can convince her to run)," Panelo said during his "Counterpoint" program Saturday, Feb. 27.
"Kapag ito naman tumakbo, walang kaduda-duda na mananalo ito. Ilagay mo pa si Presidente na bise presidente niya, lalo na (If she runs, there is no doubt she will win. All the more if the President runs for vice president. You can just imagine the landslide win of this tandem kung matuloy (if it pushes through)," he added.
Panelo has openly advocated for Mayor Duterte to run for president next year with her father as her running mate. He voiced confidence the proposed tandem could easily defeat the opposition in the polls.
President Duterte will end his six-year term next year and is not eligible for reelection.
Duterte has already discouraged his daughter from running the presidency to spare her from the hardships of the job from long work hours to constant insults and criticisms from detractors.
As some groups move to persuade her to run in next year's polls, Mayor Sara thanked her supporters but appeared reluctant to seek the presidency. The mayor told those who want her to run for president to wait until 2034.