Philippine president’s daughter Sara Duterte seems have big ambitions of her own - and the Marcos family could be the key
Like her father, Sara Duterte is feared and respected, and known for being blunt, unpredictable and for openly trading barbs with the president
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte thinks political dynasties are bad. But the way the prevailing political winds are blowing, it looks like a dynasty of his own might be taking shape.
Nine months away from midterm elections that could determine the success or failure of his presidency, his daughter, Sara Duterte, is fast emerging as a powerbroker who is aiming to shore up support for his ambitious policy agenda, and, say some experts and insiders, his eventual succession.
By his own admission, the 73-year-old president is flagging.
On Tuesday, he lamented his uphill struggle to tackle illicit drugs and cut state corruption, predicting that he’ll “hardly make a dent” in his remaining four years in office.
During a ceremony and again at a dinner afterwards, he said he was tired, exasperated and thinking about quitting, and ended his sombre, one hour, 20 minute speech with: “I’m telling you, I’m ready to step down and retire.”
That contrasts sharply from his 40-year-old daughter, who has started manoeuvring to build alliances and expand her small party in the southern Davao region into a new political juggernaut, as fissures appear in her father’s ruling PDP-Laban party.