President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. on Tuesday revealed that he is in discussions with several individuals and has some people in mind to potentially be his administration’s candidate for the upcoming 2028 presidential elections.
Speaking at a fireside chat during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum in Makati City, Marcos revealed that some of the people he has approached have declined to run.
"Well, we have some people that we are talking to in mind, and many of them actually—some of them would say, 'No, I do not want,'" he said.
Marcos highlighted the importance of identifying capable leaders within government.
"You look at people in government, you see who's doing well, who's exceptional, and I'm glad to say there are exceptional people in government," he added.
However, he noted the challenges of introducing candidates outside the political sphere.
"Yes, but of course you have to see, you know, when people are working, but you cannot limit yourself to government. But of course, it's much harder to bring to a presidential level someone who has not been involved in politics ever," Marcos said.
"It happens, but it's not that easy, especially in the highly political atmosphere that we have here in the Philippines. It's not that they don't like the person, they just don't know who they are. And to build that up to a presidential level is quite difficult," he added.
When asked if he would endorse a candidate soon, Marcos replied, "Not soon. Timing is everything."
The President also outlined the qualities he believes the next Philippine president should possess, emphasizing that the successor should not be ‘someone who is thinking about politics’ but must demonstrate strong economic competence.
"We need are the people who actually are thinking about not politics, but how to make the country better," he said.
"We need to have nation-builders, people who want to make the Philippines better, people who actually love the Philippines and love Filipinos and want to make things better," Marcos emphasized.
With the 2028 presidential race on the horizon, only Vice President Sara Duterte, his running mate in the 2022 elections, has announced that she will run.
