Martin Diño Withdrew from Presidential Race Asked Duterte to Run for President

PDP-Laban presidential aspirant Martin Diño has unexpectedly withdrawn from the presidential race as standard bearer of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan amid a petition by the legal department of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) seeking his declaration as nuisance candidate.

Martin Dino withdrew

The announcement of Martin Diño’s withdrawal from the presidential race was revealed to the media by former North Cotabato governor Emmanuel Piñol. According to Piñol after Martin Diño’s decision to withdraw, he also asked Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to run in his stead.

Martin Diño, the deputy secretary general of PDP Laban, announced his withdrawal from the presidential race upon the advice of his lawyers following a petition filed by COMELEC legal office to declare him a nuisance candidate.

According to the petition by the poll body, Martin Diño was only a “stand-in” candidate for Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who did not file his COC for President last October 16, 2015. COMELEC also belittled Dino’s capacity to undertake a national campaign for President.

Duterte could not yet be reached for comment but he had earlier said that the possibility of him substituting for Diño depended on the decision of PDP-Laban, and that the party has until December 10 to mak the decision.

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