FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed that he will not withdraw from the Davao City mayoral race to pursue a Senate seat. This statement comes in response to various media reports suggesting he might shift his candidacy to the national level.
"Kaibigan hindi ako pwedeng tumakbong senador. Mayor ako ng siyudad ng Dabaw. Doon ako nag-umpisa, at baka doon ako matapos (Friend, I cannot run for senator. I am the mayor of Davao City. That's where I started, and that’s where I might end up)," he said in a 19-second video message posted on the FPPRD supporters' Facebook page on the afternoon of October 8, 2024.
Duterte filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) the day before, putting an end to speculation about his return to national politics nearly three years after leaving the presidency.
During a press conference on Saturday, October 5, the former Davao City mayor, who served for over two decades, also revealed that he has cancer, which would complicate a national campaign.
Meanwhile, he is running alongside his son, incumbent Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, who is campaigning for the vice mayor position. Previously, his daughter, current Vice President Sara Duterte, mentioned that her father and brother would be aiming for Senate seats, although the two later denied those claims. RGL