After years working as President Rodrigo Duterte’s alter-egos in the executive branch, several officials are now seeking national elective posts in the 2022 elections.

The list is a mix of people who’ve had experience holding elective office, and neophytes whose only experience in government was their stint in the Duterte Cabinet.

The following are Duterte officials who filed their certificates of candidacy before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from October 1 to 8 for national posts or party-list group nominees. The list does not include officials running for local posts.

• Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo – running for senator under PDP-Laban Cusi faction, filed COC on October 8
• Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones – running for senator under PDP-Laban Cusi faction, filed COC on October 8
• Public Works Secretary Mark Villar – running for senator under Nacionalista Party, filed COC on October 6
• Mindanao Development Authority Chairperson Manny Piñol – running for senator under Nationalist People’s Coalition, filed COC on October 8
• Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan – running for senator as an independent candidate, filed COC on October 8

All of these officials are deemed resigned from their posts by virtue of their candidacy filing.

Some Cabinet members who were included in the PDP-Laban Cusi faction’s initial senatorial slate ended up not filing their candidacies. These include Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

Duterte has devoted some of his late-night public addresses to promoting some of these officials and the work they have done for his administration.

Other Duterte officials running

Apart from Cabinet members, there were several lower-ranking Duterte government officials who are now seeking electoral posts.

• Greco Belgica, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner – running for senator under PDP-Laban Cusi faction, filed COC on October 8
• Ernesto Abella, foreign affairs undersecretary – running for president as an independent candidate, filed COC on October 8
• Mocha Uson, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration deputy executive director – first nominee of Mothers For Change (MOCHA) Partylist, filed certification of nomination and acceptance on October 8

– Pia Ranada/Rappler.com