S. Philippine hardliner city mayor endorsed as presidential candidate

A Philippine political party formally endorsed Monday a mayor of southern city of Davao as its presidential bet in the 2016 elections.

The Partido Demokratikong Pillipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) proclaimed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as its candidate for president as well as Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as his running mate.

Duterte, who filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) before the Commission on Elections last week, will substitute a party mate who withdrew his candidacy.

But shortly after Duterte filed his COC, a disqualification case was lodged against him.

The local official became famous after his city was named as one as the safest cities in the world.

Some human rights groups, however, have been criticizing Duterte for allegedly not following the rule of law by eliminating suspected criminals in his city using a death squad.

Duterte initially planned to run for the mayor again in Davao City. But after the Senate Electoral Tribunal junked the disqualification case against Senator Grace Poe, another presidential aspirant, for not being a natural-born Filipino, Duterte changed his mind, saying he could not allow anyone to violate the Constitution. Poe is a foundling. Enditem