Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio believes that the country’s weak economy will be the reason why presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will lose if she runs as president in the May 2022 polls.
“Our economy is in shambles and historically, 'pag masama ang economy, iyong administration candidate natatalo (when the economy is in bad condition, the administration candidate loses),” he said in a recent interview over Radyo Singko.
In modern Philippine politics, no incumbent political party has ever won the presidential elections.
Carpio, one of the lead convenors of 1Sambayan, said if Duterte-Carpio runs, it will be like President Duterte seeking the presidency again.
“Kasi parang referendum ‘yan eh (It is like a referendum),” he added.
READ: Duterte wanted Sara as possible successor, but she refused
The former associate justice is related to the presidential daughter by marriage because Duterte-Carpio’s husband, lawyer Mans Carpio, is his nephew.
He believes that if the Davao City mayor runs, all the country’s problems will hound her.
“So, lalabas lahat ng problema. Iyong pag-manage ng economy, pag-defend (So, all of the problems will crop up. How the economy is being managed, the defense) of our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. So, it's really a referendum,” he said.
“Gusto ba natin ganito pa (Do we want more of this), six more years of this thing?” Carpio asked.
Duterte-Carpio has repeatedly said she will not run as president despite a possible endorsement from her father. But the President’s allies are bent on convincing the presidential daughter anyway.
Opposition coalition 1Sambayan is seeking to come up with a united opposition ticket for 2022.
READ: 1Sambayan hopes ‘unity’ among nominees to beat Duterte’s bet in 2022
The group revealed their nominees for president and vice president on June 12, but only Vice President Leni Robredo and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV have not declined the nomination.
“We still accept mga nominees. Dapat ‘yan may vision, may paningin kung saan na tayo ngayon at saan tayo papunta. Tatanungin namin ‘yan sila. Ano iyong plano mo? (They should have a vision of where we are now and where we are going. We are going to ask them. What are your plans?),” Carpio said.