Duterte Withdraws Vice Presidential Bid, Hints at Daughter's Presidential Run

Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Rodrigo Duterte, the President of the Philippines who abruptly withdrew his bid for vice president and even declared his retirement from politics, hinted that his daughter, Sara Duterte, the mayor of Davao City, will run in next year's presidential election.

If his daughter, who is leading in the presidential polls, becomes president, it could result in a situation where the baton is passed from father to daughter, first in the mayoral office and then in the presidency.

Local broadcaster ABS-CBN News reported on the 3rd that President Duterte said his daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte of Davao City, will run for president.

The broadcaster said this statement came during an interview following the registration of Senator Christopher Go, a close aide of President Duterte, as a vice presidential candidate the previous day.

At this event, President Duterte made a sudden announcement that he was withdrawing his candidacy for vice president and would retire from politics when his term ends next year.

In the footage provided to the broadcaster, the reporter asked President Duterte if "'Sara-Go' is definite," implying that Mayor Sara would run for president and Senator Go would be the running mate for vice president, to which President Duterte replied, "'Sara-Go' it is," the broadcaster reported.

However, when asked whether his daughter would register as a presidential candidate, Duterte said, "I don't know. I have no knowledge about that." When asked if he had given permission for his daughter to run for president, he added, "We don't talk about politics. I just say that it is better that way."

Regarding President Duterte's remarks, Mayor Sara's camp reportedly said "no comment," which was interpreted as neither confirming nor denying the statement, according to the broadcaster.

Mayor Sara registered her candidacy the previous day, announcing her intention to run for re-election as mayor of Davao City, the third-largest city in the Philippines.

However, experts say that registering as a mayoral candidate does not rule out the possibility of Mayor Sara running for president, foreign media reported. Just as Duterte, who was mayor of Davao City during the 2016 presidential election, entered the presidential race at the last minute, his daughter Sara could do the same.

Presidential candidate registration must be completed by the 8th, but withdrawals or candidate replacements are possible afterward, which adds to the potential variables, the report added.

With Mayor Sara currently leading in presidential opinion polls and her father hinting at the possibility of running for president, their political moves are expected to become the biggest focus in Philippine politics.

Earlier, Philippine boxing hero Senator Manny Pacquiao was the first to register as a candidate for next year's presidential election.

The Philippines will hold elections in May next year to elect the president, vice president, and approximately 18,000 members of the House and Senate as well as government officials. The Philippine president serves a single six-year term, and the president and vice president are elected separately.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.