President Rodrigo Duterte has revealed that Senator Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos is courting his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, to form a possible tandem for next year’s national elections.

During his prerecorded Talk to the People delivered Monday night but aired Tuesday morning, Duterte said Marcos is going to Davao City to persuade Sara to seek the presidency and be her running mate.

“Kasi ‘yang si Imee, ganito ang laro niyan eh, pinupuntahan niya si Mayor Sa[ra] Duterte sa Davao hoping na kung magtakbo ‘yun, siya ang maging bise. (Imee’s game is like this, she goes to Mayor Sara Duterte in Davao, hoping that if the latter runs, she will be vice president),” Duterte said.

Duterte, however, claimed that Marcos’s plan to team up with Sara in the 2022 national elections would not thrive because his daughter is not interested in joining the presidential race.

“Eh hindi naman tatakbo, sabi niya. Sabi ni Mayor Sara Duterte eh hindi siya magtakbo (She will not run, she said. Mayor Sara Duterte said she will not run),” he said.

On Aug. 26, Marcos pushed for the possible pairing of Sara and her brother, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the 2022 national elections.

Marcos, in an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel’s Headstart, said her brother would be “honored” to be the vice president of Sara, should the Davao City mayor decide to run for president.

The senator added that the Sara-Bongbong tandem would be a “marriage made in heaven.”

Prior to Marcos’ statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Aug. 25 said Duterte would drop his plan to run for vice president, if Sara decides to pursue her presidential bid.

Roque, however, announced on Aug. 26 that Duterte has made up his mind to join the 2022 vice presidential race, as the Chief Executive believes that Sara is not bent on running for president.

He added that Duterte’s “unfinished business” in addressing illegal drugs and corruption in government has convinced the latter to seek the vice presidency.

Duterte, in his latest remarks, said he would run for vice president to beat the opposition.

“Eh ‘di sabi ko magtakbo ako ng vice president. Bakit? Walang oposisyon eh. Hindi man manalo ‘yang oposisyon na ‘yan. Sigurado ako, ‘yung Otso Diretso, ulit na naman ‘yun (So, I said I will run for vice president. Why? There is no opposition. The opposition will not win. I am sure Otso Diretso will happen again),” he said. (PNA)