MANILA, Philippines — "We'll just wait to hear from President Duterte [on] what we thinks of the different candidates running to succeed him in June 2022."
This is what the spokeperson of presidential bet Panfilo "Ping" Lacson's party said on Wednesday shortly after Duterte said he will reveal information about "what's wrong with some presidential candidates", and whom he believes is the "most corrupt" among the aspirants, as elections draw closer.
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"If grounded on facts and evidence, this will be helpful to the voters still on the fence as to who to vote for, while allowing others to change their minds if they feel their chosen candidates are wanting either in integrity, capability or potential," Partido Reporma spokesperson Ashley Acedillo said in a statement shared with reporters on Wednesday.
He asked aloud whether the same facts and evidence- especially those referring to potentially corrupt or criminal conduct- should be the basis for pursuing a case with the Sandiganbayan or the regular courts.
In a taped recording on Tuesday, Duterte identified a presidential bet as one who "really cannot" be a president, and another one as being "too corrupt."
"People think that this person has a clean image, but those who transact with him for official business- even the Chinese- are complaining that he is too corrupt. I said what I can do is charge him for corruption," he said of one of the candidates.
He did not provide any names, but denied that revealing such information is a form of "politicking."