The daughter of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte registered on Saturday as a candidate for vice president in next year’s elections, ending months of speculation.

A lawyer filed the certificate of candidacy of Sara Duterte-Carpio, the current mayor of the southern city of Davao, for the centre-right Lakas-CMD political party, which she only joined two days earlier.

Duterte-Carpio’s spokesperson, Christina Frasco, confirmed the registration, adding a statement is expected.

The 43-year-old mayor took the spot of a Lakas-CMD member who had registered in October but was considered a placeholder.

There was no immediate statement from Duterte-Carpio or Lakas-CMB about who the party’s presidential candidate would be.

Another member, Anna Velasco, had registered to be its presidential candidate last month.

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Parties have until Monday to switch out their candidates.

Supporters and political allies had been urging Duterte-Carpio to run for president to succeed her father, whose six-year term ends in June 2022.

He cannot seek re-election under the Philippine constitution.

Shortly after the filing, the camp of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, who is running for president, immediately “adopted” Duterte-Carpio as its vice-presidential candidate.

Marcos, who faces a disqualification case before the Commission on Elections for a 1995 conviction for failing to file income tax returns, has been topping the latest surveys on the presidential race.

He did not name a vice-presidential running mate prior to Duterte-Carpio’s filing.

Duterte-Carpio has been a favourite presidential and vice-presidential contender in surveys, even after she said she wanted to run for a third term as Davao City mayor.

She withdrew her registration for re-election on Wednesday.

(dpa/NAN)

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