With Duterte, daughter set to vie for the Philippines’ vice-presidency, another option emerges

A day after withdrawing her bid for re-election as mayor of Davao City, Sara Duterte-Carpio filed her candidacy on Saturday to run for vice-president

Her father President Rodrigo Duterte has said he’s in the running for vice-president too – though some suspect the father-daughter duo have other plans in mind

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio are seen in this combination photo. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 10:13pm, 13 Nov 2021Updated: 11:19pm, 13 Nov 2021

A whirlwind of last-minute reshuffles and changes ahead of what is shaping up to be one of the Philippines’ most bizarre presidential elections saw President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter Sara on Saturday enter the race to become vice-president on the same day her father vowed to do likewise – though some suspect not all is as it seems.

A day after withdrawing her bid to run for re-election as mayor of Davao City, Sara Duterte-Carpio filed her certificate of candidacy on Saturday to run for the vice-presidency under the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democratic Party.

Former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jnr quickly snapped her up as his running mate, with his spokesman and campaign manager Vic Rodriguez issuing a statement saying that the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas – which is fielding Marcos – had “adopted” Duterte-Carpio as its candidate for vice-president.

Sara Duterte-Carpio, left, pictured in Davao city earlier this week. Photo: AFP

The next few hours saw Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa, who had been put forward as a candidate by President Duterte’s PDP-Laban Party, withdraw from the presidential race to be replaced by his running mate, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go. This left a vice-presidential slot open which Duterte, who had accompanied Senator Go to his candidacy filing, confirmed to reporters he intended to fill.

If Duterte files his certificate of candidacy for the vice presidency on Monday, as presidential communications chief Martin Andanar told reporters, then father and daughter would be left vying for the same post in next year’s polls.