After four decades of public service, President Duterte has formally retired from politics by withdrawing his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for senator before the Commission of Elections (Comelec) to spend more time with his family and enjoy the privileges of being a private citizen, a Palace official said Wednesday, Dec. 15.
Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles stressed that the President’s decision to withdraw from the senatorial race following also the withdrawal of former long-time aide Senator Christopher “Bong” Go is a “personal decision.”
“Syempre (of course), as a retired government worker siya po ay babalik sa kanyang (he will return to his) private life and spend time with his family,” Nograles said during a virtual press briefing.
He dismissed allegations that the President’s decision to run for senate and eventually withdraw his COC was meant to confuse the public and other candidates.
READ: Duterte withdraws from Senate race
Nograles said that Duterte’s supporters, political parties, and even politicians coming from other parties all convinced him to run and continue his service to the people.
“Even after he filed, di ba maraming mga kandidato (a lot of candidates), political parties are already endorsing him for Senate. So, marami talaga, nandoon iyong (there are a lot, there’s the) pressure na gusto nila magpatuloy si Pangulong Duterte (that they like President Duterte to continue) but at the end of the day, it is always personal choice for any who runs or files candidacy in whatever position,” he added.
The President’s withdrawal also came after his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, endorsed his candidacy for the Senate under her own party, Lakas-CMD.
But now that Duterte will no longer need to join the campaign trail, which will officially start in February, Nograles said that he can “focus now more on the COVID response.”
READ: 'Retirement is coming?': Palace justifies Duterte's withdrawal from Senate race
“He can focus more on safely reopening our economy, he can focus more on continuing, if not stepping up more of the public service,” he added.
“Lahat ng pagbabago, lahat ng mga magagandang programa na nasimulan niya ay kaya na niyang, mas lalo pa niyang masigurado na (All the changes, all the good programs he started he can already, he can make sure) these are all put in place and implemented towards the end of his term as president.”
Duterte also wants to ensure that “we will have peaceful, transparent, and fair elections this coming May 2022.”
Left with no candidate to field for the presidency, Nograles said that the public will have to wait as to who the President will endorse as his successor.