Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has announced his departure from politics. He had previously planned to run for vice president in next year’s elections, but is now backing out.
The 76-year-old Duterte will remain president until next June. According to the constitution, he can no longer start a new six-year term. Duterte’s intention to run for vice presidency drew criticism from his political opponents. They wanted the Supreme Court to determine whether that was legal.
The announcement of his departure comes as a surprise. He made the announcement with his former aide, Senator Bong Go, sitting next to him. He then submitted his own candidacy for the vice-presidency to the electoral commission.
Tough approach to drug crime
Duterte came to power in the Asian country in 2016 . He almost immediately attacked the drug trade in his country with a heavy hand. He already declared war on drug criminals during his election campaign. “Assholes, I’ll kill you,” he then said.
His crackdown led to summary executions of people, who sometimes only had been accused of drug use. Suspects were shot on a large scale and then taken to hospital to avoid an investigation, Reuters journalists concluded after investigation.
According to official figures, more than 6100 people have been killed in anti-drug operations. International news agencies write that it concerns at least 20,000 deaths.
The former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague concluded on the basis of preliminary investigations that it is plausible that crimes against humanity have been committed . Judges of the ICC are now considering her request to start a trial against him. Duterte has said will not cooperate with an investigation.
Boxer possible new president
Several people have run for election for the highest political office in the Philippines. One of the most famous names is that of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. As a boxer, he has several world titles to his name and is highly regarded in the country because of his sports career.
More than a week and a half ago, he said he wanted to fully focus on the presidency. Pacquiao says he wants to focus primarily on fighting corruption. One of his biggest political opponents is likely to be Sara Duterte, daughter of the outgoing president.
Note: This article have been indexed to our site. We do not claim ownership or copyright of any of the content above. To see the article at original source Click Here
