Duterte daughter to run for VP, allies herself with dictator’s son

The daughter of Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte will run for vice-president next year in tandem with the son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, ending months of speculation about her political ambition.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who dropped her reelection bid last week, has allied herself with Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr., who is running for president , Victor D. Rodriguez, his lawyer and chief of staff, sad by telephone on Saturday.

The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, Mr. Marcos’s party, adopted Ms. Carpio, 43, as its vice-presidential bet for the May elections, according to a copy of a resolution passed by the party.

The presidential daughter, who had rejected calls for her to run for a national position, registered her candidacy for vice-president under the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) through a representative, party spokesman Ryan Ponce Pacpaco told reporters in a Viber message.

Ms. Carpio substituted for a party member who is a relative unknown. Substitution is allowed until Nov. 15.

She took her oath last week as a member of Lakas-CMD, which is led by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo — a known powerbroker in Philippine politics.
Political analysts have said Mr. Duterte could not afford to lose support from the Marcoses because their supporters backed his presidential bid in 2016.
Civic groups earlier asked the Commission on Elections to disqualify the younger Mr. Marcos from the presidential race after a trial court convicted him for tax evasion in the 1990s.

More than 70,000 people were jailed, about 34,000 were tortured and more than 3,000 people died
under his father’s martial rule, according to Amnesty International.

The dictator ended martial law in January 1981, but it wasn’t until five years later that he was toppled by a popular street uprising that sent him and his family into exile in the United States.

The younger Mr. Marcos was among the first to return to the Philippines from exile in 1991.
“Any Duterte run for the top executive posts, whether for president or vice-president, does not offer any comfort for those who have been violated by this administration,” human rights group Karapatan said in a statement.

“What is in the offing, together with a Marcos bid, are the dire threats to democracy and freedoms in the country, with these repressive and anti-people dynasties attempting to perpetuate their families’ power in the elections,” it added.

Analysts earlier said the ruling camp might be doing everything to remain in power to protect Mr. Duterte from potential lawsuits.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has ordered an investigation of Mr. Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs that has killed thousands, saying crimes against humanity might have been committed. — with Norman P. Aquino