It may not be his last after all.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said President Duterte was not closing his doors to run for vice president in the 2022 polls as the Chief Executive was leaving it to God.
Panelo said Duterte would be open to seeking the vice presidency in 2022 should there be a strong clamor for him to run.
"Si Presidente, tatakbo lang ‘yan pag nakita niya may clamor, ‘pag malakas ang clamor (The President will only run if he sees that there is a strong clamor)," he told "The Chiefs" program on TV5 Tuesday.
When asked to clarify if Duterte was considering running for vice president, Panelo said the President was leaving it to God.
"Ito ang sagot niya (This was his answer): 'I’ll leave it to God,'" he said.
" were his exact words," he added.
This was not the first time Panelo floated the idea of President Duterte running for vice president. In September last year, he confessed his desire for Duterte to run for the said position in 2022 if his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, would run for president.
The Palace official added that the opposition will not stand a chance should the Duterte-Duterte tandem push through in the 2022 polls.
In March, it was reported that Duterte's party, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), was passing a resolution to urge the President to run for vice president next year.
Meanwhile, Malacañang has repeatedly urged the public to set aside talks about politics and focus on address the coronavirus pandemic.