Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Sara Duterte-Carpio pulled out her certification of candidacy (COC) for reelection as Davao City mayor on Tuesday, further fueling talks of a possible presidential bid.
In a Facebook post, the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte said she will be replaced by her brother, incumbent Davao City vice mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, who withdrew his COC for reelection earlier Tuesday. Sebastian will now apparently run for mayor of Davao City in the 2022 elections.
Duterte-Carpio, however, did not disclose further details on her next plans.
“Ngayong hapon wini-withdraw ko ang aking kandidatura sa pagka-Mayor ng Davao City. Si VM Baste ang papalit sa akin. Ito lamang po muna sa ngayon. Maraming salamat po,” she said.
Duterte-Carpio’s latest political move gave more energy to talks that she would run for president in the May 2022 polls. She has long been rumored to take on the presidency and has maintained her lead in presidential surveys. But she has repeatedly said in the past that she will not run for president. She even claimed that she wanted to finish her term as Davao City mayor.
The Commission on Elections has set the November 15 deadline for political parties to replace or make substitutions of their candidates until November 15.
RELATED STORIES
Panelo: If Sara runs for President, it’s game over
Should Sara change her mind, she’ll vie for presidency, not VP — Bato
No more presidential run for Sara Duterte in 2022; to seek reelection as mayor