Is Duterte stepping up?

The withdrawal of Martin Diño as presidential candidate of PDP-Laban was not unexpected. In the first place, having been the president of an anti-crime watchdog, the Volunteer against Crime and Corruption, apart from being a barangay captain many years ago, did not exactly make him highly qualified to aspire for the top elective position in the country.

But the PDP-Laban is still considered a major political party even if its ranks have thinned out considerably over the years, and for it to make Diño its standard bearer last October 16, the last day for the filing of certificates of candidacy, was more of a calculated move to buy time and allow Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider his earlier decision not to run for president.

Now, with Diño officially withdrawing from the presidential race and the PDP-Laban having issued a resolution "compelling" Duterte to run in his stead, it now appears that the 2016 polls would feature a five-way presidential contest.

The latest surveys show Senator Grace Poe, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas of the Liberal Party, Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), and Duterte in a tight race with double-digit ratings, with Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago the only candidate with a single-digit rating.

Duterte's entry into the presidential race would make the 2016 elections very interesting. He's the only one to bank solely on his experience at the local level to aspire for the presidency on a strong anti-crime and anti-corruption platform.

Will Duterte's survey ratings surge upwards if he finally decides to run? Let's wait and see. 

Image by: www.sunstar.com.ph