Inihayag ng Malacañang na tutuparin ni Pangulong Duterte ang sinabi niyang bababa na sa puwesto sakaling manalo si dating Senador Bongbong Marcos sa electoral protest nito laban kay Vice President Leni Robredo.

Ito ang sinabi ni Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque matapos na sabihin ni Duterte na irerekomenda lang niya ang constitutional succession sa pagkapresidente at bababa siya sa puwesto kung sinuman kina Marcos o Senator Francis Escudero ang kanyang bise.

“Well, what he actually said is a real statement of exasperation and a real genuine wish to step down if there’s a better leader, or if there’s a qualified leader to take over. And he has said that he thinks Senator Bongbong Marcos is one of the better qualified leader to succeed him,” sabi ni Roque.

“If there’s developments and he will win the protest and he becomes Vice President, yes, he will make true his word.

“If he (Marcos) wins, if he becomes vice president, perhaps the President will make true his word, na he will step down. Because what he is worried about is if we use Constitutional succession, then the successor may not be qualified.

‘And then he expressed a preference who he thinks will be qualified. So if he wins, I think he has said it before. He has said it before that if he wins his protest and he’s declared as vice president, he’s willing to step down,” sabi ni Roque.

Nilinaw naman ni Roque na sa ngayon ay walang plano ang Pangulo na bumaba na sa puwesto.

-Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos