Pacquiao files candidacy as race to succeed Duterte opens

MANILA — Philippine boxing star and senator Manny Pacquiao on Friday became the first contender to file their candidacy for next year’s election to succeed President Rodrigo Duterte.

The country’s election commission is accepting candidates for the May 2022 general elections through Oct. 8, but substitutions will be allowed until mid-November. A little over 18,000 positions — from president to municipal council officers — are up for grabs.

Ahead of the filing, the 42-year-old Pacquiao on Wednesday announced his retirement from boxing, ending a glittering career which saw him win world titles in eight different divisions and elevated him to national hero status.

Two other hopefuls earlier declared presidential bids: former national police chief and incumbent senator Panfilo Lacson, and Isko Moreno, the popular mayor of the city of Manila. Moreno, a former actor, is expected to file early next week.

Duterte , despite being constitutionally barred from seeking a second term as president, has agreed to run for vice president.

The 76-year-old, known for his brutal war on drugs, still enjoys high popularity ratings. But in the latest vice presidential survey by Pulse Asia from Sept. 6 to 11, Duterte fell to second spot, trailing Senate President Vicente Sotto.

Despite this, Duterte spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday said the current president “remains the candidate to beat in the 2022 elections.”

The president’s daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte continued to top the latest Pulse Asia poll for president. She has said she won’t try to become president as only one Duterte should run for a national position — a declaration that drew skepticism from analysts.

The 1Sambayan, a group of prominent opposition figures, on Thursday endorsed incumbent vice president Leni Robredo as its presidential candidate, even though Robredo has yet to declare her candidacy.

Former senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., the son of a notorious dictator, is also considering running for a national position, including president. Marcos lost to Robredo in the 2016 vice presidential race by a slim margin.

Duterte’s successor is set to inherit an economy struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, a South China Sea territorial dispute with Beijing and Southeast Asian neighbors, as well as Muslim and communist insurgencies.

The president and vice president are elected separately in the Philippines and the candidates with the most votes win.

This week, the election commission extended voter registration until Oct. 30 following a clamor from politicians and businesses. As of August, over 61 million people were eligible to vote in Southeast Asia’s second-largest democracy.

Additional reporting by Ella Hermonio

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