Former Philippine President Duterte intends to contest as a mayor, disregarding his controversially fatal drug campaign history.
Manila, Philippines (AP) — Previous Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared his intent to contest for mayor of his southern hometown on Monday, despite the international scrutiny surrounding his infamous drug war crackdown that the International Criminal Court is examining as a potential crime against humanity.
At 79, Duterte handed in his documents to the Election Commission in Davao city, where he held the position of mayor for approximately two decades before being crowned president in 2016. His son, current Davao city Mayor Sebastian Duterte, will run alongside him as his vice-mayor in the upcoming mid-term elections, according to officials.
Over 6,000 individuals, predominantly impoverished drug suspects, were reportedly killed during the extensive law enforcement-backed drug war crackdown overseen by Duterte. However, human rights organizations claim the death toll is significantly higher and should include numerous unsolved killings carried out by motorcycle-riding assassins, possibly hired by the police.
Duterte has repeatedly denied approval for extrajudicial killings of drug suspects, despite publicly threatening them with death and orderings the police to gun down suspects who dangerously resist arrest.
In the face of his administration's extensive drug war crackdown, Duterte admitted that drugs continue to pose a significant challenge. During his presidential campaign, he pledged to resolve the drug issue within three to six months, but later acknowledged that he underestimated the problem's magnitude.
Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC in 2019, a move critics believed was an attempt to dodge accountability. Despite this, the ICC prosecutor stated that the court retained jurisdiction over alleged crimes while the Philippines was still a member of the court.
During his tumultuous presidential tenure, which ended in 2022, Duterte declared his intention to retire from politics, but he has since reneged on his public commitments numerous times.
His daughter, current Vice President Sara Duterte, revealed in June that her father and two brothers intended to vie for Senate seats. However, Duterte himself told reporters in Davao city on Saturday that his health, which is not in the best condition, would not permit him to engage in a campaign for any national position.
Duterte has continued to enjoy popularity despite stepping down from the presidency, but human rights groups and political opponents are likely to vigorously oppose his political comeback. Duterte and his family have also been at odds with his successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whom he has publicly denigrated as a weak leader and a drug addict.
Marcos has dismissed Duterte's accusations and countered by accusing Duterte of being a fentanyl user, a powerful opioid.
Sara Duterte resigned from her roles as education secretary and head of an anti-insurgency body under the Marcos administration in July. This move marked the latest indication that her alliance with Marcos has faltered due to key discrepancies, including the Marcos administration's stern opposition to China's aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea.
Marcos has bolstered the Philippines' military alliance with the U.S. as tensions with China over the South China Sea significantly heightened since last year.
During his presidency, Duterte cultivated warm relationships with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin while lambasting the security policies of the United States and other Western governments.
Duterte's political comeback intentions have sparked controversy not only in the Philippines but also in the international community, with human rights groups and leaders in Asia expressing their concerns about his past actions. The international scrutiny surrounds the International Criminal Court's examination of Duterte's drug war crackdown as a potential crime against humanity, a concern shared by many nations in Asia.
