DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is the most qualified to succeed her father as the country's president in 2022 because of her "intellect" and "political will", MalacaƱang said on Thursday, June 27.
"Sara [is fit to continue the President's policies and programs]. Pareho 'yung ugali ng dalawa eh. Pareho silang competent (They have the same character. They are both competent)," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo told Palace reporters in a chance interview on Thursday night.
Panelo made the remark a day after Vice President Leni Robredo raised the possibility of running for the country's top post.
For Panelo, Robredo would have "no chance" of winning unlike Duterte-Carpio who would win "overhelmingly" if the presidential elections were held today.
"If the elections were today, walang chance [manalo si Robredo]. Eh 'di ba mababa naman ang rating niya (If the elections were today, Robredo would have no chance of winning the presidency because her rating is low)," he said.
"If she (Duterte-Carpio) runs now, [she will win] overwhelmingly," the Palace official added.
The President, however, has warned his daughter Sara against taking on the presidency in 2022, saying it will destroy her.
A month after her father gave an unsolicited advice, Duterte-Carpio, who won in her reelection bid Davao City mayor in the May 13 midterm elections, said she was not considering running for president.
Prior to this, however, in February 2019, Duterte-Carpio said she would decide in January 2021.
Panelo said the younger Duterte "might rise to the challenge" if there's a clamor for her to run.
"Depende siguro 'yan (Perhaps, it depends on the situation). The father doesn't want, pero (but) if people want her to run, she might rise to the challenge," Panelo said.
"She doesn't need convincing. People will make her run just like the father," he added.
On Wednesday, June 26, Robredo said "everything is possible".
Panelo said it would be "too early" to assume anything as he noted that there are "limitless possibilities" three years from now.
"If you talk about possibilities, gaya nang sinasabi ko (like what I keep on saying), we have limitless possibilities. For all we know, hindi natin alam ang mangyayari (we don't know what will happen) three years from now," the Palace official said. (Ruth Abbey Gita/SunStar Philippines)