MANILA, Philippines – Speculations on Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's presidential bid ended as he filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) as mayor before the local office of the Commission on Elections.
According to a report from radio dzBB, Duterte's executive assistant Bong Go filed his COC for him.
Meanwhile, political analyst Malou Tiquia posted a photo of Duterte's COC for mayor on her Twitter account. The photo shows that Duterte filed his candidacy for reelection last Monday.
Filed! #Du30 pic.twitter.com/sE4V76Lxmy
— Malou Tiquia (@maltiq) October 15, 2015
Last Monday, Duterte released a statement stressing that he is not going to pursue the country's top seat.
However, his daughter Sara posted a photo showing her shaved head in support of Duterte's presidential bid.
Last May, rumors surfaced that Duterte will run for president following a leaked campaign ad video which eventually aired on national television. However, on September 7, his supporters were dismayed after he announced he is officially out of the 2016 polls and will retire from public service.
Duterte’s supporters were persistent in pushing for Duterte’s presidency and held a rally where the mayor sent a message that he will take time to go on soul-searching and come up with a decision for the 2016 elections.