China News Service, October 2 (Zhang Aolin) On the 2nd local time, President Duterte of the Philippines stated that he would retire from politics. After taking office in 2016, this president, who is known for his "dare to speak out", has attacked drug dealers, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and former U.S. President Trump. Some people once lamented, Duterte has brought about real changes in Philippines .
Duterte will leave office in June 2022, and the election campaign for the next president has also begun. Where will the Philippine political situation go?
The President of the Philippines made "shocking remarks" and said he would retire from politics. Image source: Philippine "Star"
Iron-fisted anti-drug strongman
For Duterte, being an "anti-drug strongman" can be said to be the most significant feature in his political career. Before
became president of the Philippines, he served as mayor of Davao City, known as the "murder capital."
Just by hearing this name, you can tell how chaotic the place is, and Duterte has been the mayor for 22 years (with a break in the middle). During this period, he carried out a long-term crackdown on local drug trafficking organizations.
After taking office in 2016, Duterte, who has always been known for his iron-fisted anti-drug campaign, naturally made drug eradication a priority.
When faced with the poor performance of anti-drug operations by Philippine law enforcement agencies, Duterte once made a strong statement, "If you don't want the police, then I am standing here now and I will shoot criminals with my own hands. This is the truth! If no one Dare, I will pull the trigger myself.”
On another occasion, Duterte even directly shouted at drug dealers, saying, “If I were you, I would stay in jail. If you want to live longer, then just stay in jail.”
Although the anti-drug campaign attracted criticism, he still stated that he would "never give in." He also once criticized his "anti-drug war" for being too bloody when then US President Obama, and vowed to "never visit the United States" during his term.
A white-collar worker from a foreign company in the Philippines once said that Duterte made him "feel social changes for the first time in his life."
Data map: On June 30, 2016, Duterte (front row, left) was sworn in as president in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The picture shows Duterte accompanying outgoing President Aquino to attend the ceremony before taking office that morning. Photographed by China News Service reporter malacanang
He criticized the United States many times during his tenure.
Not only did he criticize drug traffickers, the United States was also the target of Duterte's "fire".
When he first came to power, Duterte made it clear that the Philippines would implement "independent diplomacy." Compared with his predecessor, Aquino III, , Duterte could be said to have reversed the Philippines' one-sided pro-American policy. route.
Not only did he do something in 2018 that no Philippine head of state has done in 60 years - visit Israel (the purpose was to buy Israeli weapons and alienate the United States), he also directly targeted the CIA in August 2018 (CIA), said that not only was he being monitored by the CIA, but he would also be killed by them sooner or later. For this reason, he even considered giving up using smartphones.
Not only that, in February 2020, after receiving Trump’s invitation to visit the United States, Duterte rejected it without forgetting to sarcastically say: “Do we as a country need to rely on the United States to survive?”
Data map : Duterte (left) and daughter Sarah. Image source: Philippine Presidential Palace
Is retiring to pave the way for his daughter?
Since the Philippines implements a presidential system, the president’s term is 6 years and cannot be re-elected. Duterte’s term will expire in June 2022. Although
's term is approaching, he just announced his candidacy for the next vice president not long ago, saying that this is "a love for the country." Therefore, his sudden announcement on October 2 that he would withdraw from politics after resigning triggered speculation from the outside world.
Reuters analysis said that Duterte’s move is paving the way for his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sarah .
Polls show that Sarah is the most popular candidate for the next president, but Sarah had earlier stated that if her father ran for vice president, she would not run.
In addition to Sarah, many people have announced their participation in the presidential race since August, including Manila Mayor Moreno, current Senator Lacson, and even the famous boxer Pacquiao .
Who will become the next president of the Philippines? The results will be announced after the general election on May 9, 2022. It remains to be seen whether the Philippines will continue its existing policies or return to a pro-American path after the results come out. (End)
Source: China News Network
