Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao was the first to file his candidacy for the presidential election on Friday.
Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko’ Moreno, along with senator and former police chief Panfilo Lacson, have also announced their intention to run for office.
Analysts say it is crucial for Duterte to have a loyal successor to insulate him from potential legal action – at home or by the International Criminal Court – over the thousands of state killings in his war on drugs since 2016.
“I would take his announcement with a lot of salt,” Carlos Conde, Philippines researcher for New York-based Human Rights Watch, said. “But assuming that he’s really going to retire, that doesn’t mean he won’t get the protection from the ICC that he craves.”
In mid-September, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands launched an investigation into extrajudicial killings and other crimes committed during the brutal war on drugs that Duterte launched in the Philippines. On becoming president, he promised to rid the country of narcotics, and ordered the police to shoot drug dealers and addicts on sight if the officers believed themselves to be in danger.
According to Philippines government data, 6,181 people have been killed in police raids since 2016. However, according to the ICC, the actual figure could be between 12,000 and 30,000, describing the actions of the law enforcers as a “widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population.”
Duterte has blasted the investigation on numerous occasions, claiming the International Criminal Court had no jurisdiction over the Philippines after the nation quit the ICC back in March 2019, and vowing to bar investigators from the country. However, the ICC insists it has the jurisdiction to investigate the crimes it alleges were committed in the Southeast Asian state between 2017 and 2019 when it was still a member.
The ICC probe makes the upcoming presidential election crucial for the Duterte camp, as a candidate from a rival political party seizing victory could well open up the president to prosecution.
