: The Duterte Family’s Plan for the Next Election Highlights the Problem of Political Dynasties in the Philippines #WorldNEWS Outgoing Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte finalized his candidacy Monday

The Duterte Family’s Plan for the Next Election Highlights the Problem of Political Dynasties in the Philippines #WorldNEWS
Outgoing Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte finalized his candidacy Monday for a senate seat in elections scheduled for May 2022, just days after his daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio filed her bid for the vice presidency.
The move is seen as an effort by the Dutertes to enhance their prominence in a country notorious for its dynastic politics—as well as an attempt by the the 76-year-old leader to evade accountability for his war on drugs. The brutal crackdown has left more than 20,000 dead, by some estimates, and seen Duterte become the focus of an International Criminal Court probe.
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Philippine presidents enjoy legal immunity while in office, but are constitutionally barred from serving more than a single six-year term. While immunity wont continue in the senate, securing a seat in the upper chamber would still afford Duterte important protections: privilege from arrest for certain crimes while congress is in session, and formidable political clout.
“Maybe he still wants to be in the mix—to be a Senate President, to still be a player,” says Richard Heydarian, associate professor of politics at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
Read More: The Philippine Elections Will Be a Test of Rodrigo Dutertes Legacy
True, Duterte may have to surrender his dream of a dynastic successor—at least for now. His daughter, Duterte-Carpio, has been edged out of the top spot in pre-election polling by the son (and namesake) of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who is now the top choice to become the Philippines next leader.
But by not vying with Marcos Jr. , and instead standing for vice president alongside him, Duterte-Carpio will bolster the positions of both families in the country of 110 million.
The Dutertes “have now settled for silver,” Heydarian tells TIME. “It seems contesting the gold would be a lose-lose for both sides, because that would have split the vote of the pro-administration side between the Marcoses and the Dutertes. ”
For Philippine voters, however, the long-standing problem of dynastic politics remains. If she wins the vice presidency, Duterte-Carpio might also shield her father from legal battles, ensuring a long wait in store for those hoping for swift justice for abuses carried out during his bloody reign.

Ezra Acayan/Getty Images Relatives of victims killed in the drug war prepare backstage before performing in a play at a Catholic school on July 6, 2019 in Manila, Philippines. The play is part of a series of activities organized by the Catholic Church to help relatives of victims killed in the drug war cope with the trauma of losing their loved ones.