The possible reasons why Rodrigo Duterte is retiring from Filipino politics
Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines, surprised some folks when he announced Saturday that he was reversing his decision to campaign for vice president in the country's election next year.
Because Duterte was known for an authoritarian governing style, perhaps best exemplified by the violent war on drugs he launched, his critics suspected his pursuit of the vice presidency was really a front to circumvent the Filipino constitution, which prevented him from running for re-election. As second-in-command, he could still return to the presidency if his successor were to leave office for any reason.
Now, he's acknowledging that the "overwhelming sentiment" throughout the Philippines is that he isn't the right person for the job. So, how did he reach that point of apparent self-awareness?
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Skeptics would first point out that he's gone back on his word before, The Wall Street Journal notes. But Richard Heydarian, an associate professor at Polytechnic University of the Philippines who focuses on geopolitics, said Duterte may think he has a better shot at retaining influence over the country's politics if he steps out of a formal role and instead plays kingmaker. Others think he may be clearing the path for his daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, to make a surprise bid for the presidency. Duterte-Carpio, the mayor of the Philippines' third-largest city, has said she wasn't seeking the role and has filed for re-election, but she has typically topped opinion prospective polls and would likely become a frontrunner, Reuters reports.
-
5 cinematic cartoons about Bezos betting big on 'Melania'Cartoons Artists take on a girlboss, a fetching newspaper, and more
-
The fall of the generals: China’s military purgeIn the Spotlight Xi Jinping’s extraordinary removal of senior general proves that no-one is safe from anti-corruption drive that has investigated millions
-
Why the Gorton and Denton by-election is a ‘Frankenstein’s monster’Talking Point Reform and the Greens have the Labour seat in their sights, but the constituency’s complex demographics make messaging tricky
-
Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
-
Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
-
EU and India clinch trade pact amid US tariff warSpeed Read The agreement will slash tariffs on most goods over the next decade
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
