Former senator Bongbong Marcos speaks with the members of the press after filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the 2022 presidential election at the Harbor Garden tent of the Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City. PHOTO

Former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos on Wednesday officially filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) for president in 2022 national and local elections at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) temporary filing center in Harbor Garden Tent of Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City.

“I filed my CoC for president just now. I guess that makes it all official,” said Marcos.

Marcos has yet to name a running mate but mentioned that his party, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), initially planned to adopt President Rodrigo Duterte, who earlier accepted his party  nomination of VP.

“No one has filed for Vice President under PFP, and I’ll be very candid with you, the reason why that is, is that the original plan was for us to adopt PRRD (President Rodrigo Duterte) for our vice presidential candidate,” Marcos revealed.

Duterte over the weekend announced he was retiring from politics.

“Nagbago lahat ng plano kaya’t ngayon, nagkokonsulta kami, ‘yong partido at siyempre lahat ng ating mga kasamahan kung anong dapat gawin,” Marcos said in an interview.

The PFP will field at least 7 to 9 candidates for senator and will release its initial slate “within days,” said Marcos. He said he “cannot say for sure” for now if the party can come up with a full 12-member slate.

Marcos on Tuesday said he would seek the top government job to bring back “unifying leadership” as the country faced the COVID-19 crisis that he dubbed “one of the greatest tests in its history.”

His announcement came just hours after he confirmed his transfer to the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, which earlier endorsed him for president.

Since returning to the Philippines in 1991 from a 5-year exile in Hawaii after his father’s overthrow in a “People Power” uprising, Marcos and his family has been trying to rebuild its image, which was tainted by human rights violations during the Marcos dictatorship.

The government has recovered P174 billion in Marcos ill-gotten wealth, according to the Presidential Commission on Good Government.

The family denies any wrongdoing. Matriarch Imelda has been found guilty of several counts of graft in lower courts, but has won most of her appeals in higher courts. None of the members of the former first family has been imprisoned.