MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte seemed to have endorsed for the 2022 national elections his chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo during his taped weekly Palace briefing on the COVID-19 situation on Monday.
As he called the lawyer to speak, he said: “Attorney Panelo. Or Senator Panelo? Secretary Panelo — my favorite candidate for senator.”
Speaking in Filipino, Duterte went on to ask if Panelo was intending to run in the senatorial race: “Are you running? Say it now so that the people will know. It looks like you will run.”
“Mr. President, maybe I will just walk going to the Senate so I won’t trip. I will just walk, not run,” Panelo said.
The president t…
Keep on reading: Duterte calls Panelo his ‘favorite’ senatorial bet during COVID-19 briefing