Philippine President Duterte says he could run for VP, takes shot at Manny Pacquiao

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said that he may consider running for vice president when his term ends in 2022 while also sending remarks toward boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, The Associated Press reported.

“It’s not at all a bad idea and if there is a space for me there, maybe,” Duterte said during a televised appearance on Monday. “But if there’s no space for me, everybody is crowding up wanting to be one, vice president, let them be at this time because I’m finished.”

Under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, presidents are only allowed to serve a six-year term. Vice presidents are elected separately from their counterparts, according to the AP report.  

Duterte also took shots at Pacquiao, who is the PDP-Laban president and considering running for office, saying that corruption has been “twice as rampant” under his term. 

“You didn’t tell me anything all these years, you’re all praises and praises for me and now you’ll say corrupt,” Duterte said in the AP report. “I will hound you every day. I will expose you as a liar.”

Pacquiao replied back by saying, “I’m not a crook and I’m not a liar.”

This comes as leaders of Duterte and Pacquiao’s party will meet on July 16 and 17 to complete their list of possible candidates for the upcoming election. 

In May, PDP-Laban approved measures for Duterte to run for vice president and pick his presidential running mate as well, according to the AP.

Even though he enjoys high popularity in the country, Duterte has gained notoriety for his crackdown of illegal drugs, which left thousands of petty suspects dead, the AP noted.