The Philippines: Sara’s Hugpong to back President Duterte’s vice-presidential bid

• Hugpong ng Pagbabago said that it will back President Rodrigo Duterte’s vice-presidential bid should he push through with it.
• However, the regional party headed by the president’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, reiterated that she would not pursue a presidential run should her father aspire for the vice presidency, as she does not want a Duterte-Duterte tandem.
• President Duterte has repeatedly said that he does not want his daughter to run for president, but his spokesperson, Harry Roque — who is backing Mayor Duterte’s possible presidential bid — said in Jun 21 that the chief executive wanted her to run.
• After months of rejecting calls for her to run, Mayor Duterte said last week that she is “open” to joining the presidential race in 2022, but stressed that there is no final decision yet. Her apparent hesitancy to announce her candidacy is reminiscent of her father’s last minute decision to run in the 2016 elections.
• President Duterte, meanwhile, has been publicly toying with the idea of running for vice president, citing supposedly unfinished business during his term as president, but stressed that his presidential running mate must be aligned with him.
• Some political observers have warned that should the Dutertes eventually succeed to grab the top two posts in government come 2022, it will be the “final stop” in three decades that have been marked by the ascendancy of political dynasties and will “magnify the domination of dynastic politicians.”
• Some political analysts, however, have said that the very existence of political dynasties limit the choices of the people as their lasting sway over electoral strongholds tends to keep out non-dynastic competition.

External Link : https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/07/14/2112493/saras-hugpong-back-president-dutertes-vice-presidential-bid/