It seemed like President Duterte was not yet over with his beef with broadcast media giant ABS-CBN after he asked its reporter if the network will be campaigning against him if he runs in the 2022 elections.
Duterte made the statement after floating the idea that he might run for vice president in next year's polls.
During the inauguration of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 East Extension Project in Antipolo City on Thursday, ABS-CBN reporter Joyce Balancio sought clarification from the President if he has decided to run for vice president.
Instead of answering the question directly, the President asked Balancio if ABS-CBN was expecting him to lose.
"You are from ABS-CBN?... So ABS-CBN is expecting me to --- to lose because they will campaign against me?" he asked Balancio.
In response, Balancio calmly explained that there was nothing more to her question.
"No, Sir... I’m just following up a story regarding a possible vice presidency that you might seek since you’ve mentioned some of, you know, your sentiments in your previous public speeches," she told President Duterte.
The President answered Balancio by saying that his remarks were just "posturing" because he did not want to be treated like a "lame duck" by others just because he was about to step down.
President Duterte's beef with ABS-CBN was no public secret. He has repeatedly slammed the network for supposedly not airing his ads during the 2016 election season despite paying for them.
Last year, despite the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, ABS-CBN was forced to shut down its free TV operations after the House of Representatives rejected its application to renew its 25-year franchise.
Duterte has denied his involvement in ABS-CBN's unfortunate fate, he has already forgiven the Lopezes, the owners of the company.
However, in an expletive-filled speech in Tacloban City in March this year, President Duterte took pride in his "success" in toppling the oligarchy and even mentioned ABS-CBN in particular.
"If there is one thing that I will bring with me when I die, alam mo kung ano (you know what is that)? That I was able to dismantle the oligarchs holding the government," he said.
"Talagang niyari ko sila (I really went after them)," he added.
According to the President, he took time going after business tycoons such as the Lopezes of ABS-CBN, Manny Pangilinan of Maynilad, and Fernando Zobel de Ayala of Manila Water.
Duterte said as long as he was in Malacañang, he will not allow ABS-CBN to return to free TV on its own capacity if the company's obligations remain unpaid. He likewise urged Ayala and Pangilinan to do the same.
"Sabi ko kay Gabby Lopez, 'Anong klaseng p***** i**** tao ka?' Kaya ngayon, magsabi sila ibalik? Na. Habang Presidente ako... Bayaran nila muna ang utang (I told Gabby Lopez, 'What kind of a f****** person are you?' Now they want to return. No. As long as I am the president. They should pay their debt first)," he said.
"At saka 'yong mga si Pangilinan pati si Ayala, bayaran nila 'yan (Pangilinan and Ayala, too. They should pay up as well)," he added.
In a speech early this year, President Duterte said he did not let his fear hold him back from going after oligarchs for their offenses and for allegedly wielding influence over the nation’s political and economic fortunes.
In 2019, water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water drew the ire of the President over alleged onerous provisions of the supply agreement. He likewise accused them of violating the country's anti-graft law for passing income taxes to consumers.
The government later moved to revise the water concession contracts to remove such controversial provisions, advising the two companies to just accept the new agreement.