Manila, Nov 17 (IANS): Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and who is running for the vice presidency in the 2022 elections, confirmed her alliance with presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who is now leading the poll.

Speaking for the first time since filing her candidacy on Saturday, Duterte-Carpio, 43, appealed to Filipinos to back them, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a video post on Facebook, Duterte-Carpio said she is confident that Filipinos will help and support them until the elections are won amid the challenges.

Marcos, 64, the only son of former President Ferdinand Marcos, confirmed their alliance in a separate statement. Marcos' party adopted Duterte-Carpio shortly after the Davao City mayor registered her candidacy on Saturday.

Duterte-Carpio said her decision to ally with Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was not meant to derail the candidacy of other aspirants.

"Our objective is not only to pursue the initiatives of President Duterte but to enhance the administration's programs further," she said, calling for unity.

Under the Philippines law, the president and vice president are elected separately.

Right after the presidential daughter's filing last Saturday, Duterte's long time aide-turned-senator Christopher Go went to the Commission on Elections office in Manila with the president to change his application, submitting his certificate of candidacy for president and withdrawing that for vice president.

On Monday which was the last day for making candidate substitutions, Duterte, 76, filed his certificate of candidacy for senator in the coming elections.

He announced last month that he was retiring from politics and would not run in the next elections "in obedience to the will of the people."

Duterte was elected as the president of the Philippines in 2016, and his term ends on June 30, 2022. The constitution limits Philippines presidents to a single six-year term. The next elections are scheduled to be held on May 9, 2022.