The Philippines’ ruling PDP-Laban Party failed to secure a successor for President Rodrigo Duterte for next year’s general election after Senator Christopher “Bong” Go reiterated his disinterest in the presidential nomination during the party’s national convention on Wednesday.
Senator Go, Duterte’s longtime personal aide, earlier said he was open to running for president if Duterte was his running mate. However, in a letter made public on August 30, Go backtracked, saying that he was no longer interested in running in the 2022 Philippine presidential election and instead wanted to focus on helping fight the pandemic. “As much as I wish to respond to the clamour of many of our party mates, I most respectfully decline the said endorsement,” he wrote.
On Wednesday, Duterte accepted his nomination for vice president, a largely ceremonial position in the country’s administration. “No words can express my gratitude for your continued trust and confidence in my leadership and for nominating me as the party’s official vice presidential candidate in the 2022 national elections. I hope this will allow me to continue serving the Filipino people and help lead the entire nation towards greater progress. I want to see the continuity of my efforts even though I may not be the one giving the direction,” Duterte said.
Elected in 2016, Duterte is limited to a single six-year term as president under the constitution. The position of vice president would allow Duterte to retain power through the country’s second-highest office. However, his acceptance of the post prompted accusations that he wants to stay in power to be protected from legal action at home or abroad for his notorious “war on drugs.”
Following his formal acceptance of the vice-presidential nomination, Sara Duterte, Davao city mayor and Duterte’s daughter, said she has given up her candidacy for president in next year’s elections. “I am not running for a national position as we both agreed only one of us would run for a national position in 2022,” she said in an interview on Thursday.
Sara was the number one presidential prospect in public opinion polls along with Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. She had previously named several politicians, including Bong Go, who offered to run with her in next year’s presidential election.
Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacson became the first to declare his candidacy for president on Wednesday alongside Senate speaker Vicente Sotto, a former actor, musician, and four-term lawmaker who will be his running mate in the vice-presidential contest. In addition, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, the son of late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, said he is vying for a national post in the 2022 elections.
The Philippines will hold its presidential election on May 9, 2022.