Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
President Filipina Rodrigo Duterte announced his retirement from politics on Saturday (2/10). He also declared that he would not run for vice president in the presidential election next year or after his term of office ended.
Duterte said many Filipinos rejected his plans to run for vice president. He knows this through a number of surveys and public forums in recent times.
“The extraordinary sentiment of Filipinos makes me ineligible. That would be a violation of the constitution,” Duterte said AP, Saturday (2/10).
“I will follow the wishes of the people and today I am announcing my retirement from politics,” Duterte said.
The 76-year-old president since taking office in 2016 has been known for his harsh policies and character, such as killing all traffickers in eradicating drugs, to reinstating the death penalty.
The president of the Philippines is constitutionally limited to one term, with a term of six years. This made Rodrigo Duterte unable to run for a second term because it was against the country’s constitution.
So, he had declared that he would run for vice president. The child, Sara Duterte, was mentioned as a candidate for president along with his father.
Duterte was the first to consider running for vice president after taking office.
Sara Duterte is currently mayor of the southern city of Davao, and has been encouraged by many supporters to apply for a bid to succeed her father. He has topped independent public opinion surveys about the next President of the Philippines.
However, Sara has said she will not run for president if her father, Duterte, runs for vice president.
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