14th December, 2021
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday withdrew his candidacy for a senate seat, the election commission’s spokesperson said.
Duterte’s term will end in June 2022, and he is banned by the constitution from seeking another term as president.
Last month, the chief executive backtracked on his initial plan to retire from politics and filed his candidacy to rejoin Congress under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS).
PDDS is an allied party of the PDP-Laban faction which he is a part of.
Duterte’s move comes just hours after his ally and longtime aide Sen. Bong Go officially withdrew from the presidential race.
Duterte’s 2016 presidential campaign led to his election victory.
During his presidency, his domestic policy has focused on combating the illegal drug trade by initiating the controversial war on drugs, fighting crime, and corruption, launching a massive infrastructure plan, and a proposed shift to a federal system of government.
He also oversaw the controversial burial of Ferdinand Marcos, the 2017 Battle of Marawi, and the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He declared the intention to pursue an “independent foreign policy”, and strengthened relations with China and Russia.
He initially announced his candidacy for vice president in the 2022 election, but in October 2021, he announced that he was retiring from politics, before filing his candidacy for Senator on Nov. 4.