Duterte to run for vice president of the Philippines in 2022
Bangkok, Aug 24 (EFE) – Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has confirmed he will run for vice president in the 2022 elections, in which his daughter Sara could run for president.
In a statement Tuesday, his PDP Laban party said that Duterte, 76, has accepted its invitation to be the vice-presidential candidate and pursue his policies against drug trafficking, poverty and the campaign against Covid-19, among others.
Duterte has agreed “to make the sacrifice and heed the clamor of the people, and accepted the endorsement of the PDP Laban Party for him to run as vice president in the 2022 national elections,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, the party’s executive vice president, said in a statement.
The popular president, known for his authoritarian style and provocative statements, recently suggested that he could run as vice president to maintain his immunity, since the country’s laws prevent him from being re-elected as head of state.
On Jun.14, the prosecutor’s office of the International Criminal Court in The Hague requested judicial authorization to investigate alleged crimes against humanity committed during the anti-drug war that Duterte launched after becoming president in 2016.
Duterte’s term has also been marked by his ambiguity in diplomatic dealings with Beijing and Washington.
It has also largely been affected by the pandemic, which has caused more than 1.86 million infections and over 31,900 deaths in the country.
Moreover, the president has also waged a legal crusade against critical voices and media, including the renowned journalist Maria Ressa, founder of the Rappler news portal.
However, polls continue to indicate strong support for both Duterte and his daughter Sara, the current mayor of Davao, the southern city known to be the political stronghold of their family.
According to a Pulse Asia Research poll last July, Sara and Rodrigo Duterte are the favorites to be elected president and vice-president, respectively, in next year’s elections. EFE
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