MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Tough Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has confirmed rumors that he will run for vice president next year, in what critics say is an attempt to end the limits of the constitutional mandate.
Duterte, who is known for his vulgar rhetoric and crackdown on illegal drugs, which has killed thousands of mostly young suspects, said in comments released Wednesday that he will choose the vice president to “continue the crusade.”
“I will run for vice president,” he said. “I am worried about drugs, the insurrection. Well, number one is insurrection, then crime, drugs. ”
The Philippines has been battling the COVID-19 pandemic, with rising infections and mortality rates and a slow deployment of vaccination, but Duterte’s popularity scores have remained high.
Polls suggest he would lead Duterte in tandem with his daughter, Sara Duterte, currently mayor of Davao City, as the presidential candidate would be a strong pair, Manila political analyst Richard Heydarian said.
The idea of the two running together has been debated since 2019, he said, although reports say Duterte’s advisers suggested he might not run for vice president if his daughter decides to announce a candidacy for the presidency.
“It looks like Sara Duterte’s campaign has started more or less, almost regardless of Duterte’s position,” Heydarian said. “A Duterte / Duterte tandem looks more and more like the formidable team to win in next year’s election.”
However, further muddling the waters, Sara Duterte posted on Facebook on Wednesday that her father had told her she would run for vice president with her former aide, Senator Christopher “Bong”.
He did not address his own aspirations, but said his father and Go should publicly announce that they would run together if they have made that decision.
“I respectfully advise them to stop talking about me and make me the reason why they run or not,” he wrote.
The 1987 Constitution limits Philippine presidents to a single six-year term. At least two former presidents, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, have successfully run for lower public office after becoming president, but not for vice president.
If Duterte goes ahead with his career, he will likely face opposition judicial challenges, although Heydarian noted that the Supreme Court has strongly supported the president’s moves in the past.
A new opposition coalition, 1Sambayan, whose name means One Nation, said Duterte’s decision was “no surprise” and made the coalition “more determined to unite democratic forces to meet the challenge.” “.
“It shows a clear mockery of our constitution and the democratic process,” the group said. “The candidacy is legally and morally wrong and we trust that the Filipino people will realize their brazen, selfish and self-serving motives.”
Duterte, 76, had previously hinted that he could run for vice president and his confirmation came on Wednesday after a senior official from his PDP-Laban party on Tuesday said the president had agreed to run as a candidate.
Duterte “agreed to make the sacrifice and heed the people’s outcry” to run in the May 9 national elections, said Karlo Nograles, executive vice president of the PDP-Laban.
The vice president is elected separately from the president according to Philippine law. Those in office could be pushed to the lead role if the president dies or is incapacitated for any reason.
If elected vice president, the move would recall the machinations of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Duterte once called his “favorite hero,” to maintain power despite being constitutionally banned from seeking a third consecutive term in 2008.
Instead, Dmitry Medvedev was elected president and Putin took office as nominally subordinate prime minister from 2008 to 2012. Putin was re-elected president in 2012 and Medvedev took over as prime minister.
“That doesn’t mean that if Sara Duterte becomes president, she will essentially be the president’s representative,” Heydarian said. “In Davao, the two were together at the helm (and) there were significant divergences in approaches and political differences … so we can see a certain iteration of that, if ever the tandem gets to the presidency.”
Following news that Duterte said he would run, opposition senator Risa Hontiveros warned that Duterte’s election as vice president would mean a continuation of his authoritarian policies.
“There are a lot of things at stake next year,” he told the ABS-CBN news channel.
“The president began his presidential career with a lot of drama, and it looks like he will leave us the same way, trying to confuse us, and we Filipinos are still looking for a true leader.”
In June, the outgoing chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said that in a preliminary examination there were reasons to believe that crimes against humanity had been committed during Duterte’s anti-drug crackdown, and that the “shadow” of this and the discussion of possible sanctions against him are also likely. in Duterte’s calculation, Heydarian said.
Still, he said, if the past is a guide, Duterte’s true intentions may not be known for a while.
“Let’s not forget that President Duterte is known for his coverage strategy until 11 a.m., or even past 11 a.m., he is known for his coverage strategy,” Heydarian said.
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The uprising was reported from Bangkok.