The daughter of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte withdrew her candidacy for mayor of Davao City on Tuesday, just days before a deadline to change presidential candidates for next year's election.
Sara Duterte-Carpio announced she will be replaced by her brother, Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte.
The mayor announced the news Tuesday in a post on her official Facebook page.
"I dropped my candidacy for mayor of Davao City this afternoon. Vice Mayor Baste will take my place. For the time being, that's all there is to it. Thank you once again," she stated.
Duterte-Carpio, who had been widely expected to run to succeed her father, did not give a reason for her withdrawal from the mayor's race, but promised supporters more information would be released later.
The 43-year-old has consistently ranked first in surveys of preferred presidential candidates this year, but she has stated that she does not want the role.
In May 2022, the Philippines will conduct elections for positions ranging from president through governors, mayors, and municipal politicians. The deadline to change candidacies is November 15.
The Duterte siblings' withdrawal of their candidacies isn't wholly surprising, despite the fact that it was "not expected" by even their allies.
Duterte-Carpio, who had led early presidential preference polls, had sparked speculation that she would still run for a national office despite constantly stating that she would run for reelection.
She has repeatedly said she has no interest in running for president, but has recently showed interest in forming an alliance with another presidential contender, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, the controversial son and namesake of the late dictator who was deposed in 1986.
Supporters of Marcos have pushed for Duterte-Carpio to be his running mate. For decades, the Marcos family has been one of the most powerful political families in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, 76-year-old President Duterte is ineligible to seek re-election since the constitution prohibits him from doing so, and has said he intends to retire.
His daughter is extremely popular, and his family wields significant political weight in the country's south, having ruled Davao for nearly 30 years.
Senator and retired boxer Manny Pacquiao, former actor and Manila mayor Francisco Moreno, incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo, senator Panfilo Lacson, and Marcos are among the other presidential contenders.
