Behind strong persona is compassionate man—Duterte backer

Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

Know him better and give him a chance.

This was the statement of Mayor Leoncio Evasco of Maribojoc, Bohol after presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was heavily criticized for his controversial remarks about the 1989 gang rape and murder of Australian missionary Jaqueline Hamill by prisoners inside the Davao City Police Office.

READ: Duterte rape joke on Australian missionary: Too much?

“Behind his strong and sometimes intransigent persona seen in public is a compassionate, sincere and principled man,” Evasco, Duterte’s national campaign manager, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Evasco has served as a chief of staff of Duterte during his several terms as Davao City mayor.

“I can swear to God—the way I took my priestly vows—that he has not taken advantage of his position to enrich himself or any member of his family,” he said.

Evasco said “every single centavo of the money of the people of Davao City has been well spent, every resource well allocated, distributed and used.”

He said that the tough-talking mayor does not tolerate and hates “the recidivist and incorrigible deviants—felons and criminals.”

“He most especially hates persons who discriminate, take advantage and assault vulnerable sectors of our society—the lumads, the minority, the disabled, the people with different gender preference and most especially women,” Evasco said.

Despite his “womanizing ways,” Evasco said Duterte “has a very soft heart towards women who are assaulted, raped and killed.”

READ: Despite outcry over rape ‘joke,’ Duterte refuses to say sorry

“I can count to you how many rape cases he personally attended to,” he said.

The campaign manager admitted that Duterte’s “unguarded and unrehearsed manners” may offend others.

“His ‘little-town’ reputation, unguarded and unrehearsed manners may offend those who are taught how our national leaders should act, behave and speak,” Evasco said.

“They may find him uncouth, abrasive, and even repulsive. Because that is how the elitists are trying to impose their myopic rules on all our people. Duterte is not in this elitist circle and he is definitely out-of-the-box in his thinking,” he added.

Evasco said Duterte was sincere and dedicated.

“By God, he is the most sincere, simplest but dedicated leader I have ever worked with.”

“He inspires people who know him very well. For that, I will not exchange him for anyone else in the country,” Evasco said.

He urged  Duterte’s supporters “to remain steadfast amid the new challenges we now face.”

“Have faith in the man who has already proved that he will place the interest of the people ahead of his. Even putting his own life on the line,” Evasco said.

“I urge you to rally behind, vote for him and protect those precious votes. A vote for him is a vote for tomorrow and the future of your children and our next generation,” he added. RAM