The daughter of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his successor has announced she will not run in the by-elections in May 2022 but many are still skeptical after months of meetings with political parties in the country in recent months.
Sara Duterte-Carpio, the current mayor of Davao, said on Thursday that it was her father’s idea to take over as vice president, that he would not run for office.
“I am not running for the national seat as we have all agreed that only one person will compete in 2022,” Duterte-Carpio told reporters.
Chief Duterte on Wednesday approved the election of his party as vice president. It is illegal to run for a second term as president, and experts say they want to avoid the rule by taking second place in the country.
His successors had already announced his ticket for the presidency of Duterte, with Duterte-Carpio representing the president, and his father as vice president.
Duterte was previously the mayor of Davao, and while he was not allowed to run for office due to borderline, he became deputy mayor, while Duterte-Carpio was mayor.
A survey conducted in recent months has identified young Duterte as the frontrunner in the 2022 Presidential race.
Large signs with a picture of Sara Duterte-Carpio and encouraging her to run have also been seen across the country. He did nothing to address the issues, holding meetings with major political parties and prominent politicians, some of whom volunteered to be his deputy.
On social networking sites, Facebook groups and pages with hundreds of followers also came up with the words “Run, Sarah, Run”.
Politicians remain until October 8 to throw their hat in the ring. However, he could leave the stand until November 15 – or leave if he finds another competitor to replace him. In 2015, when one person resigned Duterte signed to take over the presidency, when he said he would not run in the by-elections.
Later, on Thursday, Duterte-Carpio, when asked if he could run for president if his father left the run-off election, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer: . ”
Political cracks
On Wednesday, the PDP-Laban Party elected President Duterte as their second successor, with its loyal aide Senator Bong Go as president.
Go, however, refused to accept the nomination. Earlier, he had said he was leaving the final decision to run for president of the Duterte family.
There is also a division among the Duterte party. Another wing led by world boxing senator Manny Pacquiao also said it would select those who want to stay in their country.
Pacquaio, who is said to be running the race, is due to make a decision by September 19, according to senator Ronwald Munsayac. Pacquaio hails from Mindanao in the south, where it currently holds the wall of Duterte.
On Thursday, Munsayac reported that Duterte and Go’s announcement was “to smoke someone’s smoke in Davao” without mentioning Duterte-Carpio’s name.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, political analyst Ramon Casiple said Filipinos “should not believe” what Duterte-Carpio announced until the election deadline expired.
Casiple said Duterte told him more than a year ago that he wanted his daughter to succeed him as president.
“All these teeth, all you see today are really subtle,” he said.
On a social networking site, political analyst Richard Heydarian, when asked about Duterte-Carpio’s announcement, said: “He doesn’t have any other writings?”
Duterte is likely to be tried after stepping down next year, as well as in cases pending before the International Court of Justice in the so-called war on drugs.
Asked about the couple’s wishes, Anthony del Rosario, general secretary of the Deuteronomy-Carpio Hugpong ng Pagbabago (Alliance for Change) party, told PTV television on Friday that it was possible for President Duterte to reconsider running, and reassured his daughter that run away.
“We remain hopeful and hope the mayor will change his mind to come in October,” he said.