DAVAO CITY – Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has said Monday he is not running for the president, ending long speculations that he would boldly challenge Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Vice President Jejomar Binay in next year’s polls.
Duterte made the announcement at Grand Menseng Hotel in downtown Davao where many supporters – who hoped he would run for the presidency – gathered and listened as the politician spoke. He did not answer anymore questions from journalists.
“Hindi ako tatakbo ng presidente. Wala akong ambisyon na maging presidente at may usapan kami ni Inday Sarah that I will ask her to run for mayorship. In 2016, I will retire from the public life for good. Yan ang usapan namin sa pamilya namin,” he said.
“So I am sorry to all of you who believed in me all along, who spent money and toiled tirelessly to advertise my name. I believe it is no longer my time to be in politics. I will retire after my term,” he added.
Sarah Duterte-Carpio, a lawyer, is the daughter of Duterte, who once served as mayor of Davao City.
Duterte said his campaign for federal system of government will continue and that he would campaign for political candidates in Mindanao who would support his advocacy.
The mayor has long been campaigning for federal government, a system that divides up power between national government and smaller local governments. He also said that peace could only be achieved in Mindanao is the country is under federal form of government.
“I told you before (that my going around the country) it was all about federalism, pero noon nagikot-ikot ako sa Pilipinas promoting federalism, may mga tao na gusto akong suportahan sa pagka-presidente at medyo napasubo sila sa desisyon nila because some of them are members of the (political) parties (sa) national because they openly expressed the desire to campaign for me, eh di naman takaga matuloy,” Duterte said.
He also apologized to the Muslims, who were pushing him to run for the presidency, and told them to stay with him in his campaign for federalism, saying
“And to the Moro people…mga kapatid kong Moro people, patawarin na niyo ako, but kung sino man yun kandidato na susuporta ng federalism, sundan lang ninyo ako total ito eh para rin naman sa inyo. Mamili tayo ng kandidato, mangagaling sa inyo ang choice na susuportahan nila ang federalism and I will play an active role, but not as a politician,” he said.
“Maghahanap tayo ng kandidato na gustong tumulong sa Moro people at maibigay ano lang ang sa kanila. Isauli kung ano ang sa kanila at bigyan sila ng hustisya…but I am warning everybody, pag hindi lumusot yan BBL nothing short of federalism will appease the Muslim community. Tandaan ninyo yan, nothing short of federalism can make Mindanao peaceful.”
“Kung hindi lumusot yan BBL o lumusot man, we have to confer with Nur Misuari and everybody else in Mindanao. Ang hinihingi ng mga tao sa Mindanao, silang lahat, at kapag wala yan BBL ibigay sa kanila ang federalism at para sa atin lahat and I say nothing short will make this place Mindanao peaceful, basta ako nagbibigay na ako ng warning, either act on the BBL and take care of Misuari and everybody else…especially kapag hindi acceptable sa Bangsamoro (people) yun amended version (ng BBL). I hope na yun version niyan will satisfy the Moro people because if it does not then you have to go to federalism,” Duterte said.
One woman, who was listening to Duterte talk, broke down and said she wanted the politician to run and change this government for good. Duterte is largely credited for making Davao one of the safest cities in the world in a recent poll by Numbeo.
Numbeo is the world’s largest databank of user-contributed data about cities and countries on such topics as living conditions, crime and pollution, among others. (Mindanao Examiner)
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