The public should not take seriously his pronouncements anointing his eldest daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte as the country’s next president should he step down, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday.
“It started with a joke. They asked, ‘Who might replace you in the presidency?’” the President said in an interview aired on government-owned PTV4 on Friday night.
Duterte recalled asking Davao-based journalists if they want the equally feisty mayor as the next president.
“Sabi ko, ‘Gusto ninyo ng ganun? Si Inday.’ Eh nagtawanan. Pero as I have said, ayaw ni Inday na sa politika,” he said.
The President, however, said that he wanted a “senator” as his successor instead, but did not mention the name of the lawmaker.
In a report last week, Duterte was quoted as saying that he could not find any other better candidate than Sara to become the next president.
“I couldn’t find any other better candidate than Sara to become the next president. And one thing about her is she is not bigot.”