Philippine president announces retirement from politics

[Mr. Sparkle]

Source: BBC



Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said he will not stand for vice-president in next year's election, and will instead retire from politics.

Mr Duterte said last month that he would run for the vice-presidency in 2022. The country's constitution bars him from a second term as president.

But he now says he will withdraw, as "the overwhelming sentiment of the Filipinos is that I am not qualified".

The move comes amid speculation that his daughter could run for president.

Mr Duterte, a controversial "strongman" figure, came to power in 2016 on a platform of crushing crime and fixing the country's drug crisis.

In the five years since his election, critics say he has encouraged police to carry out thousands of extrajudicial killings of suspects in what he's called his "war on drugs".

The Philippines' constitution only permits presidents to serve for a single six-year term.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58772586

[True Dough]

1. He can taste defeat

Manny Pacquiao is coming for him.

[rpannier]

12. He was going to run for VP

His daughter is running for President
Manny isn't better

[Historic NY]

2. People finally tired of Mr Bizzaro and his killings.

[hlthe2b]

3. He should be in jail--or better yet in the Hague.

[BlueWavePsych]

6. Ditto

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

4. I guess term limits work sometimes.

That's if he actually ends up leaving. You never can be sure with fascists until they're actually gone.

[yaesu]

5. The tRumpist grifting dictator finally got his fill of grifting. nt

[kimbutgar]

7. Good riddance

Horrible evil man. I have a friend from the Philippines who became an American citizen. He used to communicate on Facebook with friends back home and if politics came up the friends would not answer him. He found out the Duarte government would come to peoples homes and threaten them if they posted anything negative about him.

[Martin68]

8. So he can go back to being a mere serial killer.

[Ford_Prefect]

9. The Chickens are coming home to roost, Rodrigo. Better get your affairs in order.

[Hortensis]

10. Making him a loser and off tRump's list of admired "near-equals."

A winner would have smashed the government and take over for good. Duterte can't coast past his term on his record of murders.

[dalton99a]

11. His daughter is vile trash just like him

It was a decade ago, before her father had become Philippine president, that Sara Duterte attracted national attention. A local sheriff had ignored orders issued by her, the mayor of Davao City, to delay the demolition of a shantytown. She arrived at the scene furious and punched him, not once, but four times in the head, in front of reporters.

The younger Duterte has repeatedly said she has no plans to run in the May 2022 election. Analysts, though, are sceptical. She previously swapped places with her father as mayor of Davao City, where the family is extremely powerful. Already, banners have appeared across the country with the words, “Run, Sara, run”. According to early polling by Pulse Asia Research, she has a comfortable lead over all the other candidates.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/18/will-she-run-for-president-dutertes-daughter-keeps-the-philippines-guessing

[orangecrush]

13. Murdering thug

[lapfog_1]

14. someone needs to drop him from a helicopter

asshole

[roamer65]

15. Same fate I hope befalls Putin.

Never give up hope.

[lonely bird]

16. Maybe I am paranoid

But I will believe it when I see that he is retiring. Somehow I can see him trying to continue as puppet master.

[electric_blue68]

17. I was thinking of him a few days ago...

not favoritely, mind you.

Hope this happens! 🤞🤞🤞👍