MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter agreed on Tuesday to be running mate of Ferdinand Marcos Jr in next year’s presidential election, her spokesperson said, confirming weeks of speculation of an alliance between two powerful families.
Sara Duterte-Carpio, 43, who is seeking the vice-presidency announced in a video message her intent to run on the same ticket as Marcos, the son and namesake of the late dictator who was toppled in a 1986 uprising.
“My party allied with and asked for support for Bongbong Marcos and for me after I accepted your challenge and your call,” Duterte-Carpio said, referring to 64-year-old Marcos by his nickname.
Christina Garcia-Frasco, her spokesperson, separately confirmed to Reuters her decision. A spokesperson for Marcos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Marcos, who belongs to a different political party, earlier said he wanted Duterte-Carpio to be his running mate.
In the Philippines, the president and vice president are elected separately.
The alliance would be formidable and a boon for both campaigns, analysts have said, with Marcos able to tap the huge support base of the Dutertes in the south, and Duterte-Carpio likely to gain from the Marcos dynasty’s decades of dominance in its northern stronghold.
Experts say Marcos has emerged as the frontrunner due to Duterte-Carpio’s decision not to run against him, after she led opinion polls on preferred presidential candidates throughout the year.
(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Martin Petty)
