DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and her father, President Rodrigo Duterte are heading towards a possible face-off in next year’s national elections.
This after close officials to the President announced that the elder Duterte is set to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Manila on Monday, November 15, 2021 just hours after his daughter filed her COC for vice president.
The Davao City mayor filed her COC through lawyer Reynold Munsayas, replacing Lyle Uy of Lakas-CMD, who withdrew his candidacy earlier.
Carpio’s candidacy for vice president runs contrary to calls from some of her supporters to run for president.
Liloan, Cebu Mayor Christina Garcia-Frasco, who serves as Carpio’s spokesperson, confirmed the matter in a text message to SunStar Davao.
On Thursday, November 11, Carpio resigned from Hugpong ng Pagbabago, which she personally founded, before she took oath before Lakas-CMD.
Hours after Carpio filed her COC, her father and Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go arrived at the Comelec office in Manila to formally withdraw the senator’s COC as vice president which he had filed last month.
After withdrawing his COC, Go then filed his COC to run as president under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan.
As they were set to go home, Duterte suddenly blurted out before national media that he will serve as Go’s running mate.
Communication Secretary Martin Andanar told reporters that the President will return on Monday, November 15, to file his COC.
“On Monday, babalik si Presidente dito sa Comelec para mag-file for vice president. Abangan natin ang sunod na kabanata,” Andanar said Saturday.
(On Monday, the President will go back here at Comelec office to file his candidacy for vice president.)
Just before the formal filing of candidacies in October, the elder Duterte had made pronouncements on his plans to run for vice president should his daughter refuse to do so.
Following his announcement, some sectors criticized the President, adding that he should make way for his successor rather than seek the country’s second highest post just to maintain a grip on power.
Go, Duterte’s trusted right-hand man, had earlier hinted that he would withdraw from running as vice president.
Meanwhile, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan presidential bet and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa withdrew his candidacy to run for President on Thursday, November 11.
In Cebu, two aspiring candidates have withdrew their certificates of candidacies just two days before the November 15 deadline.
Cebu City Election assistant and lawyer Omar Sharif Mamalinta told SunStar Cebu that Michael Bagtasan withdrew his COC as congressional candidate for Cebu City’s South District.
Cebu Provincial Election supervisor and lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano also announced that Romeo Gimenez Jr. who is running as a provincial board member for Cebu’s Third District, also withdrew his candidacy on Saturday. Gimenez is running under Abag-Promdi. (REV, LMY, CAL, JKV, SunStar Davao)