President Rodrigo Roa Duterte this afternoon filed his statement of withdrawal at the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and will no longer be running for Senator in the May 2022 national elections.

The President believes that withdrawing from the senate race will allow him to better focus on managing our pandemic response in order to sustain the progress we have made in the country and in safely reopening the economy.

He likewise views this as an opportunity to concentrate on efforts to ensure transparent, impartial, orderly and peaceful elections in May.

After over four decades in public service, the President plans to retire from government to spend more time with his family when his term ends in June 2022.