Philippine President Duterte mulls running for mayor again when term ends in 2022

MANILA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is planning to run for mayor again when his six-year presidential term ends in 2022.

Duterte, 73, was the mayor of his home city Davao in the southern Philippines for 23 years before he ran for president in 2016.

Two years into office, Duterte is not yet thinking of retirement.

At an inauguration of a bridge in Davao City this week, Duterte wondered aloud about the possibility of serving his home city as mayor.

"If I don't have a job anymore I might run for the mayor here again," he told the audience.

"(I am) very near the end of the road. So, I'like to thank you again for supporting me, for helping me. Most of you are really my supporters," he added.

Duterte is the first president to hail from Mindanao in the southern Philippines.

He became the Davao City mayor in 1988, and was reelected six times after forging a reputation for being tough on crime.

He won the presidency by a landslide in the 2016 presidential election. His daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, is currently the mayor of Davao City.

Seeking for another government position is not uncommon in the Philippines.

Former President Gloria Arroyo ran for a seat in the House of Representatives when her presidential term ended in 2010.

Arroyo replaced ousted President Joseph Estrada in 2001. She ran in the 2004 presidential elections and won another six-year term. She is now a member of the House of Representatives.