VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Duterte changes tune on 2025 elections bid

VERA Files
January 17, 2024

Describing himself as a “retired” politician, former president Rodrigo Duterte recently said he is not running for any position in the 2025 midterm elections. This is a shift from his November 2023 statement when he mentioned running for either the Senate or the vice presidency.

STATEMENT

In a Jan. 7 press conference, a reporter asked the former chief executive if he is running again for mayor of Davao City in the upcoming elections. Duterte replied:

“Wala na. Wala na ako… I’m telling you the truth, wala na ako… Hindi ko na kaya… Kasi ginusto ko man, hindi na kaya ng katawan ko.”
(No. I don’t have… I’m telling you the truth, I don’t have [plans]. I can no longer do it… Even if I want to, my body can’t bear it anymore.)

Source: Bangon Pilipinas YouTube Channel, LIVE PRESSCON WITH FORMER PRES. RODRIGO DUTERTE, Jan. 7, 2024, watch from 25:11 to 25:47

FACT

This is a change from the former president’s previous statement about his plans in next year’s election. Reacting to rumors of an impeachment case against his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, in November following the controversy involving DepEd’s confidential funds, the 78-year-old Duterte said:

“Alam mo ba ‘pag ginawa niyo ‘yan (impeachment) babalik ako sa pulitika. Mapilitan ako; either I run for senator or I run for vice president maski matanda na ako. […] I do not lose anything. I’m retired, pero pagka magdating ‘yan [at] buhay pa ako, ‘pag wala pa akong dementia, tatakbo akong vice president.”
(If you do that I will return to politics. I will be forced; either I run for senator or I run for vice president even if I’m old. […] I do not lose anything. I’m retired, but if that day comes and I’m still alive, and I don’t have dementia, I will run as vice president.)

Source: ROTC PH Facebook Page, Dahilan kung bakit galit na galit ang congress sa SMNI Gikan Sa Masa Para Sa Masa! (Nov. 20, 2023), Dec. 16, 2023, watch from 2:00:22 to 2:01:45

This isn’t the first time Duterte switched gears on his political plans. While in office in October 2021, Duterte announced his retirement from politics when his term ends.

A month later, he filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator, but withdrew from the race on Dec. 14, a few hours after his preferred successor, his long-time aide Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go did the same. He had planned to run for vice president before that.

(See VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Duterte goes from VP to ‘retirement’ to VP to senator)

While Duterte was mayor of Davao City, he repeatedly denied plans to vie for the presidency in the 2016 national elections. He filed his COC for president on Nov. 27, 2015 as a substitute for the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan presidential bet Martin Diño, who withdrew his candidacy a month prior.