President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said he will “certainly” endorse a candidate in the 2028 presidential elections, indicating that he wants a successor who will continue his administration’s campaign against corruption.

Marcos, however, said it was too early to name his preferred successor, with Vice President Sara Duterte so far the only candidate to have formally declared a presidential bid.

“Who that is, I cannot tell you because even I don't know. It's a little early for that. So far, we have only one person who has thrown their hat in the ring," Marcos said during the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) Presidential Luncheon in Manila.

Asked if he would endorse a candidate in 2028, Marcos replied: “Certainly.”

“We will certainly provide the best candidate for the betterment of lives of the people. We will choose the best possible candidate,” he said.

Marcos later indicated that continuing his administration's anti-corruption efforts would figure prominently in his choice of successor.

Marcos said his administration has been working to institutionalize safeguards against corruption, including digitalizing government transactions and reducing officials' discretion over processes.

He described digitalization as the government's “most powerful tool” against corruption, saying systems should be put in place that would make corrupt practices more difficult regardless of who occupies Malacañang after him.

Sara ahead in surveys

Marcos' eventual choice could put his endorsed candidate against Duterte, his former running mate under the UniTeam coalition in 2022.

Duterte announced in February that she intends to seek the presidency in 2028. 

Asked about surveys showing Duterte as a leading presidential preference, Marcos said he reads the numbers but does not allow them to dictate his decisions.

“I don't change my decision because of the survey. I don't change direction because of the survey,” Marcos said.

He acknowledged that surveys remain important to politicians but said their influence on his decisions is limited.

“Do I care about surveys? Of course I do. I'm a politician,” Marcos said. “But to a small extent.”

He added that public opinion should not override what he believes are necessary policies.

 "I take a decision because that's what I feel is the proper decision to make," Marcos said.

The President said the political field for 2028 remains too unsettled to make a choice now.

“I haven't sat down with anyone and said, ‘Do you want to run for president or not?’” he said.