Rappler
Neutral? ‘Choose an Ilocano leader,’ Duterte tells residents of Ilocos Sur town
President Rodrigo Duterte urged Ilocanos to choose their preferred Ilocano leader in the upcoming May 9 elections.
While maintaining neutrality, Duterte alluded to Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the only Ilocano presidential aspirant.
He highlighted that many members of his Cabinet and retired military officials he appointed are Ilocanos, with only a few Bisaya remaining.
Duterte mentioned Secretaries William Dar of Agriculture and Silvestre Bello III of Labor as examples of Ilocanos in his administration.
He further stated that his close friends were also Ilocanos.
The President expressed his belief that Ilocanos are intelligent and capable leaders.
He made these remarks during a visit to Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, where his statement was met with enthusiastic applause.
🤖
This story was generated by AI to help you understand the key points. For more detailed coverage, please see the news articles from trusted media outlets below.
News Sources
See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
Malacañang clarified that President Rodrigo Duterte is not endorsing any presidential candidate, despite a recent joke about choosing an Ilocano successor.
Read more →
President Rodrigo Duterte stated that he prefers to remain neutral in the upcoming presidential race, less than three months before the May 9 elections.
Read more →