Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte played coy when asked who he would endorse as the next president, saying “no one” deserves the job, but eventually said he might publicly name some choices.

“Wala, Pastor, looking at the political horizon… Wala akong nakita na deserving,” said Duterte on Tuesday, June 8, in an interview with his supporter, religious leader Apollo Quiboloy.

(None, Pastor, looking at the political horizon… I don’t see anyone deserving.)

Quiboloy asked the Chief Executive who he thinks should be his successor to the presidency with the 2022 national elections less than a year away.

But later on in the interview, Duterte admitted that there was someone he had in mind.

“Mayroon pero mag neutral na lang ako, pero mayroong diyang mga aspirants. (There is but I’ll stay neutral, but there are aspirants.) I may publicly name them when the time comes,” said Duterte.

But along the lines of his earlier statement that no one appeared “deserving,” he said the presidency would require more than what he sees in certain candidates.

“I do not mean to insult anybody, it takes more than just what you show today na kaya mo ngayon (you are capable now). It’s more than that, the presidency is more than that,” said Duterte.

Duterte to Sara: Don’t run for president

Duterte also claimed that he had again discouraged his eldest daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, from running for president during their conversation on Monday, June 7.

“Si Inday, kinausap ko talaga kagabi (I really told Inday last night). Do not run, do not ever, ever commit to make a mistake of running for president,” said Duterte.

He claimed to have described the presidency to his daughter as a thankless job she can get nothing out of, except for the “sense of fulfillment that you did something for your fellow man.”

“Aside from that, it’s an empty – puro ka na lang trabaho diyan (you just work constantly),” said Duterte.

Sara is being floated as a presidential bet largely by Duterte supporters who think she provides continuity and exemplifies the type of leadership they see in the President.

Even some members of Duterte’s own national political party, PDP-Laban, said they would support Sara if he were to pick her to run as president. The Davao City mayor, however, rejected the idea of joining the party. – Rappler.com