Rordrigo Duterte | The Adobo Chronicles

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Many Filipinos are wondering how Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte can still run for Philippine president when the deadline for the filing of candidacy has passed. The answer is in an unspoken law that allows declared candidates belonging to a political party to withdraw and designate a “substitute.”

Martin Diño, the presidential candidate of Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) withdrew from the race on Oct. 29 to pave the way for Duterte to run in his stead.

There is one problem, though. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is pursuing cases in which it would declare certain candidates as “nuisance candidates,” and subsequently disqualifying them from the electoral race. Diño is one of those candidates.

So, run if he will, but Duterte will be declared by COMELEC as a nuisance candidate, because a nuisance candidate like Diño can only be replaced by another nuisance candidate.

It’s more fun in the Philippines. Especially in politics!

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, known for his iron-fist kind of management, has repeatedly said that he was not interested in running for president of the Philippines in the 2016 elections.

But at 4pm on Monday, September 7 (September 6 U.S. time), Duterte is scheduled to make a very important announcement. Neithier the mayor nor his closest aides are saying what the announcement is going to be.

However, The Adobo Chronicles® has learned from a very reliable source that Duterte will announce that he is running.

Running away from running for president, that is.