Senator Maria Josefa Imelda 'Imee' Marcos is purportedly positioning herself to become the running mate of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is supposedly mulling a run for the presidency in May 2022.
President Duterte, in his pre-recorded "Talk to the People" public briefing on Tuesday morning, Aug. 31, revealed that Marcos had been visiting Duterte-Carpio in Davao to woo her to take her in as her vice presidential candidate.
"Ganito ang laro niyan (Marcos) eh, pinupuntahan niya si Mayor Sa --- Duterte sa Davao hoping na magtakbong --- kung magtakbo ‘yun, siya ang maging bise. Eh hindi naman tatakbo, sabi niya (This is her play, she's been visiting Mayor Duterte in Davao hoping that, in case she runs for president, she would become the vice. But she said she won't run)," the President said.
Mayor Duterte-Carpio is the daughter of the Chief Executive.
On other other hand, Marcos is the sister of former senator Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos, Jr., who lost a tightly contested race.
The lady senator told a cable news program last week that a Duterte-Marcos tandem in next year's national elections would be a "marriage made in heaven" given the two political clans' supposed hold on the southern and northern voters, respectively. However, the belief was that she was referring to her brother.
President Duterte said in the same briefing that his daughter won't be vying for the presidency,
"Sabi ni Mayor Dut --- Sara Duterte eh hindi siya magtakbo. Eh ‘di sabi ko magtakbo ako ng vice president. Bakit? Walang oposisyon eh. Hindi man manalo ‘yang oposisyon na ‘yan (Mayor Sara Duterte said she won't run. So I said I will run for vice president. Why? There's no opposition. That opposition won't win)," he said.
It was last July when the Davao Mayor said that she was "open" to running for the Palace seat.