Former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Tuesday rejected claims that Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte is being positioned as a backup presidential candidate for the 2028 elections should Vice President Sara Duterte be removed from office through impeachment.
Panelo dismissed the speculation as baseless, responding to ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio, who earlier floated the idea.
“Wala. Hallucinating lang yan si Tinio,” Panelo said in a television interview.
His remarks contradicted earlier statements from former Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Mike Defensor, who had acknowledged the possibility of Sebastian Duterte stepping in as the family’s presidential bet if Sara were convicted.
Panelo clarified that Mayor Duterte’s assumption of the PDP-Laban presidency was not a new political maneuver but rather a formalization of an earlier transition following Senator Robin Padilla’s resignation.
“Yung pagiging presidente niya, matagal na yan. He already assumed the presidency of the PDP-Laban. Noong pa kasi nag-resign na yan si Senator Robin (Padilla)… Kaya pumasok na nga siya. Parang finormalize lang nila yun,” Panelo explained.
He downplayed interpretations linking the development to any contingency plan, stressing that the political landscape remains fluid with the 2028 elections still years away.
“Kung anong mangyayari, hindi pa natin nalam. Two years pa, mahaba pa. If anything happens, ang daming scenario na pwede mangyari,” he noted.
Despite ongoing speculation, Panelo maintained that Vice President Sara Duterte remains the most likely contender for the presidency in 2028.
“The situation is talagang si Inday Sara ang destined to be president,” he added.