An Old Strategy? In 2015, Duterte Also Announced He Was Retiring From Politics

President Duterte announced on Saturday, Oct. 2, that he is retiring from politics and is instead supporting the bid of his former special assistant Sen. Bong Go for vice presidency.

But it was not the first time Duterte declared that he was bowing out of politics. On Sept. 7, 2015, Duterte, then the mayor of Davao City, said he was not running for president in 2016 and that he would retire from public life "for good.” Duterte, however, changed his mind and went on to win the 2016 race for president by landslide. 

Duterte claimed at the time that his decision to retire was “final and categorical.” “After talking to my family and everybody else connected to my life, I would like to categorically state now, and also to end the agony of those waiting and for those who believe in me, I’m not running for President. I’m sorry,” Duterte said during a news conference held in a hotel in Davao City.

On Saturday, Duterte accompanied Go when the senator filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for vice president at the Harbor Garden Tent of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in Pasay City despite accepting the nomination of his party PDP-Laban for him to run for the second highest post.

It was a surprise as people were expecting the President to file his COC for vice president.

But substitution is allowed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) until Nov. 15 based on these conditions: the candidate who originally filed the COC dies, withdraws, or is disqualified by the poll body.

If the original candidate dies or is disqualified, the substitute can file a COC from Nov. 16 to May 9, 2022, or the election day itself, provided the original and substitute candidates have the same surname.

In 2015, Duterte substituted for PDP-Laban standard-bearer Martin Diño so he was able to run for president even if he was not able file his COC during the period set by the Comelec. Diño decided to withdraw his candidacy.

In a statement delivered following Go’s filing of COC for vice president, Duterte said: "The universal sentiment of the Filipino as reflected in the different surveys and in many forums and, well, talks and meetings to discuss what I should do in my life. The overwhelming sentiment of the Filipino is that I am not qualified and it would be a violation of the Constitution to circumvent the law, the spirit of the Constitution."

"And so, in obedience to the will of the people, who after all placed me in the presidency many years ago, I now say, sa mga kababayan ko, sundin ko ang gusto niyo. And today, I announce my retirement from politics," he added. 

Duterte also wished Go "all the best and good luck" in his quest for the vice presidency. It was not clear who Duterte would support for president. As of this writing, Malacañang has yet to answer queries on who would be Go's running mate in 2022.

The President's announcement came days after the release of a Pulse Asia poll showing that he was only second in terms of preferred candidates for vice president. Senate President Vicente Sotto III, the first to announce his intention to run for vice president, topped the poll with 25% of respondents saying they would vote for him if the elections were held during the survey period. Duterte was chosen by 14% of the respondents of the nationwide survey conducted from Sept. 6 to 11.

When asked at a press briefing last Sept. 28 to react to the survey results, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte "listens to the pulse of the people" and that the public should just wait for Duterte's decision.

Pressed what would make Duterte drop his plan to run for vice president, Roque replied: "Well, anything is possible, unless and until the certificate of candidacy is filed."

Nominated

Late last month, the PDP-Laban faction composed of Duterte's allies announced that the President has formally accepted his nomination to become the party's candidate for vice president.

The party even released photos of Duterte signing the certificate of nomination and acceptance, a document that indicates the nominee of a party for an elective post.

"It's official! President Rodrigo Roa Duterte affixes his signature to the certificate of nomination issued by the PDP-Laban to signify his acceptance of his nomination as the ruling party’s official candidate for vice president in the 2022 elections," a caption of a photo released by PDP-Laban last Sept. 23 read.

The PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has asked Go to become its candidate for president but the senator declined the nomination.

Duterte's critics had described Duterte's decision to run for vice president as a "mockery" of the Constitution but officials had insisted that the charter does not bar the president from seeking a lower post.

The other faction of PDP-Laban is led by Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who is running for president, and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III.

Due to PDP-Laban’s infighting, Pacquiao decided to run under Probinsiya Muna Development Initiative or PROMDI party.

Giving way to Sara?

Duterte’s announcement did not only prompt netizens to retrieve and post old articles about his 2015 declaration that he would no longer be running for a position in 2016.

It also raised speculations that he was giving way to his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to become the administration’s standard-bearer.

Duterte-Carpio filed her COC for reelection at the Comelec office in Davao City also on Saturday.

“I have been honored with the gift of trust and respect of many of our fellow Filipinos. Thank you to everyone who have expressed their support. Many of you do not know me and yet you carry me over your shoulders. Like the other millions of Filipinos, I share with you the same goal of living a peaceful and prosperous life in our country, today and in the many years to come. I call on everyone to work together for an honest, orderly, and credible elections in May 2022,” Duterte-Carpio said in a statement.

Duterte-Carpio, who is leading in various surveys, said she won’t run for president since her father already announced that he would seek the vice presidency, and only one of them would have to gun for a national position.

In an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News on Friday night, Oct. 1, political analysts expressed belief that Duterte-Carpio would still run for president and part of the strategy would be to assess the right time to announce her decision.

Lawyer Tony La Viña noted Duterte-Carpio could be serious when she said that only one of them should run for a national position, but the Pulse Asia survey showing Sotto as the man to beat in the vice presidential contest at the moment might affect the President’s decision.

Professor Edmund Tayao, Local Government Development Foundation executive director, said he never doubted that Duterte would back out from the vice presidential race as his daughter would run for president.

That’s a “fearless forecast,” Tayao said.