By Deighton Acuin

PHOTO: FilAm Star

Should Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte succeed his father President Rodrigo Duterte in the 2022 national elections, it could not be called a political dynasty according to Malacañang.

“They are relatives, but a dynasty is perpetration of the same family by choice or because of a willful decision,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told ANC on Wednesday. 

“If Mayor Sara runs, it will be against the wishes of her father, and I don’t call this a dynasty because clearly, the President (said), ‘I don’t want the mess of the presidency on my family.’ But if so decides then it’s up to the electorate. And I don’t think we can accuse the Duterte family of perpetuating themselves in power, because the President has made it clear, ‘I don’t want the presidency for Mayor Sara’,” Roque added.

The Duterte-Duterte tandem has surfaced anew after the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN) adopted a resolution seeking for President Rodrigo Duterte’s vice presidential run in the 2022 polls.

Meanwhile, during a television interview, Albay Representative Joey Salceda said that Mayor Duterte-Carpio will run as president next year and the latter is “going through the process of building alliances.”

But, in January this year, President Duterte said that he is discouraging his daughter to succeed him, claiming that the presidency was no job for women.

Moreover, Duterte said he is ready to retire from government after his term rather than gunning for the vice presidency.

“Mahirap yan Pastor kasi mag-retire na ako and this time, ako ang mamili ng presidente, tapos ‘pag manalo sabihin nila, ano lang yan, perpetuate yourself in power. So nagreresist ako,” he told Pastor Apollo Quiboloy in an interview on Tuesday, June 8.

“Ako naman, I’m ready for retirement,” he added.

However, Roque said that the chief executive will reveal his future plans by December.

“He keeps his plans very close to his chest. My advice to everyone is, you can speculate all you want but we’ll find out whether or not he’ll file his certificate of candidacy only in October,” Roque said.

“We’re not sure if October is the cutoff because there is a period for substitution in sometime December,” he added.