Right wing strongman Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte announced he would drop his 2022 bid for a seat in the island nation’s senate Tuesday, ending his second attempt to remain in the government in some capacity after his constitutionally-limited term in office ends, the New York Times reports. Duterte also dropped out of contention for the Vice Presidency in October, endorsing his top aide Senator Christopher Lawrence Go, to run instead.
Go also ended his candidacy on Tuesday. Duterte’s two inchoate attempts to remain in power to some extent were to maintain for him some level of political protection from prosecution, be it over the very real and very bloody campaign of vigilante killings aimed at drug dealers and traffickers that has killed thousands since 2016 or some made up charge prosecuted by political rivals.