Duterte: You are who you elect

MANILA, Philippines – “You are who you elect.”

President Rodrigo Duterte said this on Sunday night as he told voters not to blame him if things would be chaotic for voting candidates who are just “well-known” but could not even provide jobs.

“I’ll tell you, you are who you elect. So when the time will come that everything would be chaotic, don’t include me. I tell you, that thing is not acceptable,” Duterte said during the campaign rally of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Cagayan de Oro.

Duterte tried to woo voters in Cagayan de Oro as he discredited the opposition senatorial candidates, questioning their qualifications as senatorial aspirants.

“There’s no election yet but they already jumped to hell,” he said, referring to the “Otso Diretso” candidates of the opposition.

The President called lawyer Florin Hilbay as “crazy” as he questioned the former solicitor general’s abilities.

He also slammed reelectionist Bam Aquino, saying he keeps on “yakking.”

“Where are the laws that he has implemented that had a great impact on your lives?” he said.

He again questioned Mar Roxas’ contribution to the country, even belittling his being a graduate of the Wharton School of Economics.

“They didn’t defend the poor. They’re the rich politicians. Roxas. What did Roxas do? he said.

He even mentioned that Roxas now has twins.

“Roxas, well, he now has twins. He finally had an erection,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

He also again repeated his tirade against Erin Tañada whom he said did nothing but to defend the communists.

“What did he do? He’ll just wait for another case about communists. The fight has been going on for 53 years. And the 50 years of fighting was because of these guys,” he said.

He also hit Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano for revolting “arrogantly” against the government.

He also mocked lawyer Romulo Macalintal, calling him “boastful.”

“Has he ever helped fire victims?” he said.

He also questioned Chel Diokno.

“What did Chel Diokno even do? Diokno is a human rights lawyer. Who are their clients? The poor and oppressed? Those who don’t have the money? Those whose lands were taken away from them? They would immediately process that in Manila because who would pay for them?” he said.

“Would they be prioritized? Have you handled cases like that? But if there are communists, Diokno is there. So he’s the one who caused things to go on for a longer time. Many people died as time went by,” he added.

In the same speech, Duterte, whose administration has been condemned for its brutal war on drugs and criminality, reiterated that his “job is to protect the people and to preserve the Republic of the Philippines.”

“I have no other agenda,” the President said, who won 16 million votes in the 2016 national elections.

“There will be no dictatorship, no nothing, no extension of term. I will step down on the day that I will end my term. I will tell you again if I won’t reach that time, thank you for your trust,” he said./ac