ILOILO CITY, Philippines – “I am on the threshold of running for the presidency. I am on the brink,” said Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, November 21, on the sidelines of a doctors’ forum in Iloilo City.
He was elaborating on a speech he made earlier during the forum, saying the option for him to seek the presidency is now “on the table,” a statement greeted by thunderous applause from the forum participants.
While he reiterated during his speech that the presidency still “did not appeal” to him, the recent Senate tribunal decision thumbing down the disqualification case against Senator Grace Poe’s presidential bid might just push him to gun for it.
In his belief, Poe, being a foundling, is not a natural born citizen and is thus not qualified to seek the highest post in the land.
“I’m terribly disappointed. Pwede pala maski hindi natural born (Even someone who is not a natural born citizen can run). I’ve been warning to everybody, I said I am not interested, it does not appeal to me and I do not have a need for it. Pero ‘pag ganito ang laro ng ating bayan (But if this is how the game is played in our country), then the option to run is on the table,” he said.
Duterte reasoned that while the United Nations Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness declares that foundlings are to be “deemed citizens,” it stops short of declaring the foundling a natural-born citizen, one of the requirements for being the president of the Philippines.
If future jurisprudence were to look at the recent SET decision, it would mean even naturalized citizens can run for president, reasoned Duterte, a stickler for following the law to the word.
“Why is [the requirement] exacting? it is exacting because of the presidency,” he said, adding that he believed the presidency is “sacred.”
“I have nothing against Grace. But bigyan mo na lang ako ng Ifugao, Badjao. Bigyan mo na lang ako ng plumber, karpentero o accountant, basta Pilipino okay lang. ‘Wag mo akong bigyan ng hindi Pilipino,” he stressed.
(I have nothing against Grace. But give me an Ifugao, Badjao. Give me a plumber, a carpenter, or an accountant as long as they are Filipino. Don’t give me someone who is not Filipino.)
Visibly distressed, he recalled reports that Poe had used her American passport during trips abroad.
“There is a central rule by the Supreme Court which says when you use an alien passport thereby representing you to be a citizen of another country, you have renounced the Philippine citizenship. Why is it not followed? Eh kung ganoon, kanya-kanya na tayo (If that is the case, let’s just go our own separate ways),” he said.
Asked after his speech if the SET decision was the sign from God he was waiting for in deciding to run for president, Duterte said, “Maybe.”
His statements of being “on the brink” of joining the presidential race are a development from previous declarations that he was only “half a percent” convinced he should run.
He had disappointed supporters by not filing his candidacy for president but a Commission on Elections policy on substitution allows him to take the slot of a withdrawn candidate from the PDP-Laban party.
'I'll do it my way'
Duterte went on to elaborate on what he would do for the country if he is elected, something he had done often even when he had said he was out of the race.
“Pagka dumating ako diyan, presidente, then you can be very sure I will not sit there at ipupusta ko ang buhay ko pati kulong ko, and everything and even go to jail after. Hindi ako dadaan sa presidency na walang mangyari. Kailangan may mangyari o ayaw ko; that’s the deal.”
(When I get to the presidency, then you can be very sure I will not sit there and bet with my life, even go to jail after – I won’t go through the presidency without anything happening. Something has to happen or I don’t want it; that’s the deal.)
Among the specific things he would do? Put up a railway system along the Pasig River, the only thoroughfare in Metro Manila that did not suffer from conflicting rights of way.
A nod to supporters of the Freedom of Information Act, he said he would “open all the books” and be "transparent with everything."
Though he “can’t give heaven,” he promised “a comfortable country" for everyone.
"You can go out at night and you don’t have to worry about your children,” Duterte said.
About Metro Manila traffic, he said the root problem was the unchecked purchasing of cars. As for airport infrastructure, the main challenge was the number of airplanes approaching Metro Manila airports despite the lack of runways to accommodate all the traffic.
Alongside his vision of a better Philippines, he warned that if his efforts to improve the country were to be blocked by a corrupt Congress, he would “declare a revolutionary government” and “close down Congress.”
“Because I have to solve so many problems, stop fucking me….If you want me to do it, then I’ll do it but in my way,” he said. – Rappler.com