What Filipinos would normally see in local races they witnessed on a national scale on Saturday afternoon, November 13: their president intends to run for vice president in the 2022 elections – against his own daughter.

President Rodrigo Duterte accompanied his loyal aide Senator Bong Go to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), where Go withdrew his bid for vice president and filed his candidacy for president instead. The administration’s standard-bearer, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, likewise withdrew his candidacy for president.

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Duterte will return to the Comelec on Monday, November 15, to file his candidacy for vice president, according to Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. “Babalik si President sa Monday para mag-file. (The President will return on Monday to file).”

This means that Duterte will be facing his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, in the fight for the vice presidency.

Sara in fact just filed her COC Saturday morning, and this was followed by the announcement of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr that he will adopt her as her running mate.

President Duterte earlier claimed he was retiring from politics. But Malacañang later changed its tune and said he was mulling a senatorial run.

His daughter Sara has also repeatedly dismissed reports that she was going to run for a national office, and filed her COC for mayor. She later withdrew it and put her brother Sebastian in her place.

President’s bet

President Duterte has always batted for Go as the administration’s presidential bet and tried to persuade her daughter to team up with him. The second option offered to Sara was for her to run for president and have Go as her running mate.

But it is common knowledge in Malacañang and Davao circles that the two don’t see eye to eye.

Go, and presumably Duterte, will not be running under PDP-Laban, according to the ruling party secretary-general Melvin Matibag, but under the banner of Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan or PDDS.

The PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi in September entered into an alliance with PDDS. If all this pushes through on Monday, this would be similar to the path taken by the PDP-Laban faction of presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao, who also forged an alliance with the Cebu-based Promdi party.

Pacquiao, incidentally, met with Duterte a few nights ago.

Dela Rosa, meanwhile, is now officially out of the race and will be continuing his remaining three years in the Senate. – Rappler.com