MANILA, Philippines – “Somebody who understands economics.” 

That’s the top consideration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on who he’ll be endorsing in the 2028 presidential elections. 

In a nearly 50-minute question-and-answer with former broadcast journalist Rico Hizon at the ASEAN Editors and Economic Opinon Leaders Forum in Fairmont Hotel in Makati on Tuesday, February 24, Marcos said the next leader should be someone who understands how to keep inflation rate down, ensure adequate food supply, create jobs, make the people healthier, and fix the education system.

“Because [economic] growth is about productivity,” he said, after Hizon noted the disappointing 4.4% GDP growth rate in 2025. This was below the Marcos administration’s goal of 5.5% to 6.5% GDP.

In what could be seen as an apparent dig at the early presidential bid declaration of Vice President Sara Duterte last week, Marcos said the country needs someone who doesn’t think about politics, but about “how to make the country better.”

Marcos claimed that unlike his father who ruled the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, most politicians today no longer talk about “nation building” anymore. 

“We need to have nation builders, people who want to make the Philippines better, people who actually love the Philippines and love the Filipinos,” he said.

The late dictator, Ferdinand Sr., had a vision of building a “New Society,” but ended up as a corrupt dictatorship which the Filipino people overthrew nearly 40 years ago in a civilian-military uprising known as the People Power Revolution.

When asked if he had narrowed down his choices to two or three people, Marcos initially said, “You’re gonna get me into trouble,” but continued to say that he had “some people we are talking to in mind” but some of them said no.

He added that although the field is not limited to those already in public service, it would not be wise to pick someone with “no government experience,” and that one option is to choose from among those in government “who are exceptional.” 

“It’s much harder to bring to a presidential level someone who has not been involved in politics. It happens but it’s not that easy, especially in the highly political atmosphere we have here. It’s not like they don’t like the person, it’s just that they don’t know who they are,” he said. “To build that up to presidential level is quite difficult.”

Marcos, who has a little over two years left in his six-year term, said he would not be endorsing anyone soon, adding that “timing is everything.” 

Among the names that have been talked about as possible administration candidates are Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon.

Marcos’ remarks came three days after a meeting with Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo, his closest challenger in the 2022 presidential elections. The meeting sparked talk of a possible unity between the camps of the two leaders for the 2028 race in order to beat Vice President Duterte, the current front runner in presidential surveys.

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Robredo has a degree in economics from the University of the Philippines, and a law degree from the University of Nueva Caceres. She, however, did not practice economics as a profession. 

The President also said the next leader should have “some training” or “listen to people who have that training,” citing his frequent engagements with the Private Sector Advisory Council he formed early in her term. – Rappler.com