Duterte to those who are not vaccinated: For me, let them die 1:18
(Reuters) -
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Tuesday that he will run for vice presidency in next year's elections, confirming an earlier announcement by the country's ruling political party that was criticized by opponents as a tactic for him to Duterte keep his grip on power.
The announcement came ahead of the party's national convention on September 8, where he is also expected to endorse Duterte's aide and Senator Christopher "Bong" Go to be his presidential candidate in the 2022 election.
"I will run for vice president, then I will continue the crusade. Number one is insurgency, then crime, drugs," Duterte said in a weekly national address late at night.
"I may not have the power to give direction or guidance, but I can always express my views in public."
Under the Constitution, a president can only serve one term, and the announcement had been widely anticipated as Duterte had already hinted that he might seek the No. 2 job, a move that political observers and critics see as a back door to the presidency.
Duterte was listening to "the cry of the people," Karlo Nograles, executive vice president of the ruling PDP-Laban party, said in a statement.
Critics believe he could be making a move to retain power by taking over as president in a scenario where Go wins and then resigns, allowing Duterte to protect himself from potential legal action when he leaves office.
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"This is really part of the Duterte clique's scheme to extend not only influence but control of the government," said opposition congressman Carlos Zárate.
President Duterte's Warning to Those Who Don't Get Vaccinated: Die for Me
Nograles said the move "would guarantee the continuity of the administration's programs over the past five years," including Duterte's war on drugs, which a prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) wants investigated.
Duterte's legal adviser, Salvador Panelo, has called claims that Duterte could try to take over the presidency as "unfounded and illogical".
Duterte, very popular according to polls
Opinion polls show Duterte remains hugely popular despite his bloody anti-drug campaign and criticism of the pandemic response, but analysts say his popularity won't necessarily rub off on Go.
In the Philippines, the president is elected separately from the vice president.
Duterte has previously said that he wanted Go to be his successor.
His endorsement in 2019 helped Go become a senator, a position he performs alongside his duties as Duterte's personal assistant.
"In choosing his successor, President Duterte is grappling with an urgent, undeclared concern: who can he most trust to protect and insulate him from nearly certain criminal lawsuits once he's out of power," said think tank Center for People. Empowerment Governance.
Go has been the 76-year-old president's closest aide since the late 1990s, when Duterte was a congressman representing his hometown, Davao City.
Go has previously insisted that he is not interested in the presidency.
"Vaccines first, before politics," Go, who chairs the Senate health committee, told Reuters.
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Duterte's daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, has overshadowed Go in opinion polls, but she and her father have downplayed the possibility of her running.
Political analyst Victor Manhit said until the nominations were officially presented, starting in October, all is speculation, with opinion polls showing other vice presidential candidates, including the mayor of Manila, right behind Duterte.
Philippines Rodrigo Duterte