Philippine president's longtime aide turns to run for president in 2022 elections

MANILA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's longtime aide-turned-senator Christopher Go on Saturday turned to run for president in the 2022 elections.

Go, 47, filed last month his certificate of candidacy for vice president at the Commission on Elections office under the ruling PDP-Laban.

But on Saturday, he went back to the poll body in Manila with Duterte to change his application, submitting his certificate of candidacy for president as the standard-bearer of Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS) party.

Go declined to comment on local reports that Duterte plans to run for vice president, saying it is better to wait for the Philippine president's decision in the coming days.

Earlier this week, Go hinted about changes in his plans in the 2022 elections, telling reporters that it was Duterte's wish to change plans.

On Saturday, several minutes before Go's filing, Duterte's ally Senator Ronald Dela Rosa also went to the poll body to withdraw his certificate of candidacy for president under PDP-Laban.

The poll body allows the substitution of candidates for the May 2022 elections until Nov. 15. Under the rules, substitution is accepted if a candidate dies, withdraws, or is disqualified by the poll body.

Duterte was elected president in the May 2016 elections. The constitution limits Philippine presidents to a single six-year term.

The vice president is elected separately from the president under the Philippine law.