Duterte on Grace Poe, Chiz Escudero: ‘Excellent’

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (UPDATED) – Excellent. This was all that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte could say about the tandem of Senators Grace Poe and Chiz Escudero.  (READ: VLOG: Chiz Escudero declares VP bid; Grace Poe-Chiz Escudero in 2016) 

Duterte said, “Gwapo ilang (They have a nice) tandem, Chiz being an experienced politician and provides the ascendancy.”

Poe and Escudero bolted from the Liberal Party and are runningmates for the 2016 presidential elections.

In declaring her presidency, Poe said she will continue what her father Fernando Poe Jr started, referring to the 2004 election when her father ran for president and lost to current Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Current Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, according to Duterte, are equally good. He said, “Anyone of them can be a good president kung gusto lang talaga nila or kung ginusto nilang mag-excel (if they really want to, or if they intended to excel).” 

Right now it’s a 3-way fight for the presidency, unless Duterte changes his mind.

Duterte, who advocates federalism in the Philippines, said anyone of the aspirants can also carry the torch of federalism: “If they embrace it with passion, everybody should be able to do it.” – Rappler.com