Sara Duterte, Marcos kick off campaign for Philippines presidential polls
Bangkok, Nov 21 (EFE).- Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, on Sunday joined their first campaign event for the upcoming May 2022 presidential elections.
Marcos, who is running for the presidency, and his running mate Duterte-Carpio have formed an alliance for the upcoming elections, bringing together the influence and legacy of two powerful and controversial political families of the Philippines.
On Sunday the two candidates appeared together on a red vehicle for a campaign event in the city of Tagum in the southern Davao region, dominated by the Duterte family, local broadcasters reported.
Despite their controversial family histories, President Duterte’s daughter and the junior Marcos – who has launched a campaign reclaiming his father’ legacy – enjoy significant popular support.
Rodrigo Duterte is being investigated over allegations of crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court during his controversial war against drugs, while the Marcos dictatorship during the 1970’s and 1980’s was marked by repression of dissent and corruption.
The main challenges before the duo include a complaint before the Electoral Commission and differences between Duterte-Carpio and his daughter, who is currently the mayor of Davao City.
The first-born of dictator Marcos faces several complaints before the Election Commission for having been convicted years ago of tax fraud, something that, according to the law adopted paradoxically by his father, makes him ineligible for office.
While the senior Duterte has often seemed at loggerheads with Sara and questioned her decision to run for vice president when she was the favorite to win the presidency.
In contrast with his earlier proximity with Bongbong Marcos and the celebration of his father’s dictatorship, Rodrigo has criticized the presidential candidate with adjectives such as “pro-communist,” “spoilt” and “weak.”
Political analyst and a professor of political science at the University of Philippines, Aries Arugay, said in an opinion piece that Duterte-Carpio has sought to assert her independence from her father.
