Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte thinks political dynasties are bad. But the way the prevailing political winds are blowing, it looks like a dynasty of his own might be taking shape.

Nine months away from midterm elections that could determine the success or failure of his presidency, his daughter, Sara Duterte, is fast emerging as a power broker who is aiming to shore up support for his ambitious policy agenda, and, say some experts and insiders, his eventual succession.

By his own admission, the 73-year-old president is flagging. On Tuesday, he lamented his uphill struggle to tackle illicit drugs and cut state corruption, predicting that he'll "hardly make a dent" in his remaining four years in office.