During the 2016 Elections, Former Senator Bongbong Marcos had expressed his desire for a national post, only to have lost to the current Vice President of the Philippines Leni Robredo. Five years later, Marcos officially declared his presidential bid via social media video upon filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the 2022 National Elections.
Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has shown no interest in running for a national post despite the call of her supporters to run after her father. In a statement on Facebook, Duterte-Carpio has stated that it pains her not to be able to heed the call of her supporters, who have been urging her to reconsider her decision not to run for the presidency. She also filed her COC seeking reelection in Davao City on the third day of filing.
On September 8, 2021, Marcos said in a forum that “everything is possible” when asked about the possibility of a tandem with the president’s daughter. He also considered other possible tandems for the 2022 elections.
Supporters from both camps have been eyeing a Bongbong and Sara tandem since the two seemed to have met a lot in the past and were on good terms with each other. Marcos’ camp recently shared a photo of their meeting at Cebu City to the media but had not provided further details. It gained public attention and hints at a possible tandem even after the Davao City Mayor rejected the call.
Both parties must have been planning a winning combination that could come from regions like North and South. Geography and demography are considered to be major factors since the Philippines is still tribal in culture and tradition. This could make the Sara-Bongbong tandem a formidable and winning combination.
However, November 15, 2021, marks the deadline for the substitution of candidates wherein a candidate is allowed to be replaced only in cases of death, withdrawal, or disqualification of the original candidate. Up until this time, a lot of things can still happen as there are many ways to confine the existing Commission on Elections (COMELEC) rule on substitution.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of POLITICO.PH
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Clarisse Rafols is a student at the University of the East, taking up Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She is a former officer of UE Journalism Society and is currently an intern for Politico aiming to become a learned journalist to serve the general public with factual information.