President Rodrigo Duterte named another person who can potentially replace him as the leader of the country.
On Thursday (January 3), Duterte said that he could trust Dela to become his successor because of his incomparable loyalty to the former Davao City Mayor.
During the presidential elections, Dela Rosa who’s a former Davao City chief expressed his support to Duterte, saying that he would punish anyone who would try to cheat Digong, a sign that Bato is very loyal to the chief executive.
“[H]e was with me all those years until I became president and there was no one else that I could trust with my life and maybe the presidency, and it’s — si Bato,” Duterte said.
Several days ago, Duterte was shocked by the latest SWS survey results on the 2019 senatorial elections, questioning why his top bets, including Bato, was put in the lower rankings.
“I do not have to derogate others pero yung sa ano ngayon nangunguna sa survey, susmaryosep (the latest survey front-runners, oh my goodness) but if that is the way your country…” Duterte said during the birthday party of former political affairs adviser Francis Tolentino in Tagaytay City.
“And not because he is a friend, he has proven integrity, si Bato [dela Rosa]. Fundamentally honest. ‘Pag binigyan mo ng pera para sa operation, he produces results. Magbigay ng accounting. That is how he is trained,” he said.
Bato is one of the leading bets of the Duterte administration.
Aside from Bato, Duterte also named Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte and former Senator Bongbong Marcos as potential leaders who could replace him in 2022.