Philippine election 2022: Rodrigo Duterte rules out VP bid against daughter Sara, seeks Senate seat, vows not to support Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jnr
- President ends months of speculation but keeps up intrigue by saying he will not support dictator’s son, who has asked Duterte’s daughter to be his running mate
- News comes amid poll that finds Marcos Jnr is the favourite in the presidential race, with support of nearly half of all respondents
However, he kept up the political intrigue by saying he would not support the presidential bid of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jnr, the son of the former dictator, who has asked Duterte’s daughter Sara to be his running mate.
That came despite a survey by the private pollster Social Weather Stations that found Marcos was now the clear front runner for the May 9 election, with the support of 47 per cent of respondents.
Leni Robredo, the current vice-president who is standing for the top job as an independent, came second with 18 per cent, followed by Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, with 13 per cent; Senator Manny Pacquiao with nine per cent; and Senators Panfilo Lacson and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on five per cent each.
However, experts have cautioned against reading too much into surveys this early in the race; in the last three presidential elections, early front runners have failed to win.
