Philippine polls: Duterte’s daughter to run for VP with ex-dictator’s son

For the next year’s elections, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte, will be running for the vice president’s office. She registered on Saturday was chosen as the running mate of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the late dictator’s son. This alliance has alarmed human rights activists.

Earlier this week, Sara backed out from her reelection bid as mayor of southern Davao city, allowing her to take the place of the VP candidate of her political party, Lakas CMD. This opened up a window for her to seek the second-highest post even after a deadline lapsed for candidates in the May 9 elections.

As for Marcos Jr., he filed his papers at the Commission on Elections last month. On Saturday, his party Partido Federal ng Pilipinas named Sara as his running mate.

Amid speculation of discord between the president and his daughter, the elder Duterte trooped to the elections commission Saturday to accompany his former aide, Sen. Bong Go, who shifted his vice-presidential candidacy to a presidential run.

As per reports, Duterte may reconsider his earlier plan of running for vice president, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said. If this happens then this would pit the president against his daughter.

Philippine presidents and vice presidents are elected separately. They can even build an alliance even if they run under different political parties.

Ferdinand Marcos, who was toppled in a 1986 “people power” pro-democracy uprising and died in US exile three years later, and the current president both have been criticized for gross human rights abuses.

Marcos had placed the Philippines under martial law in 1972 in an era that was marked by widespread atrocities and economic plunder.

Duterte, on the other hand, has been condemned by Western governments and human rights groups for a brutal anti-drug crackdown that left more than 6,000 mostly poor suspects dead.

The 43-year-old Sara is a mother of three and a lawyer like her father.

(With inputs from Associated Press)