By Karen Lema
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines presidential race has grown more crowded with the last-minute entry of a longtime aide to Rodrigo Duterte, in another twist in an election that must be dominated by powerful dynasties rather than reform.
Faithful to Duterte, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, registered to run for president after withdrawing his application to run for the second most important position. He will be opponents of several rivals, including the son of former Philippines leader Ferdinand Marcos.
Go admitted that he did not want to run against Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, who made the surprising decision earlier this Saturday to apply for the vice presidency, ending months of speculation about her plans for the election. of 2022.
But with two days to go before the candidacy deadline for the May 2022 election, political analysts suspect there could be more surprises and even shifts in alliances in what is turning into an unpredictable election.
Duterte’s communications secretary, Martin Andanar, confirmed press reports that the 76-year-old leader, who promised to retire from politics last month, would join the fray for vice president on Monday and run against his daughter.
“This is his plan. We don’t know if it will change,” Andanar told Reuters.
Duterte is prohibited by the Constitution from seeking a second term of six years, but nothing prevents him from running for another office.
In the Philippines, the president and vice president, with roles that are generally more ceremonial, are elected separately.
Reference: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
