(Image from Google Maps)
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte appealed to Davaoeños on Tuesday for their understanding as to why their city seemed to be the last in priority when it came to projects, saying it was “the price we have to pay” to avoid criticism that he was favoring his hometown.
In his taped weekly “Talk to the People,” Duterte recalled his instruction to Cabinet members in their very first meeting:
“I really told them: Prioritize other places. Put Davao last because I’m from there. They will say: ‘Of course, Duterte is from Davao and he will prioritize Davao,’” Duterte said, speaking in a mix of Filipino and English.
“So, up to now, Davao still has the same airport. Crowded. It seems to be getting smaller. It has become terribly small because of the so many people using it,” the president lamented.
He then pointed out that the path to her mother’s house remained a dirt road as he had ordered the engineer to not fix it.
“If you happen to be in a place where there are some public works going on, you do not want to be criticized as one who put himself first and put others last,” he explained.
Duterte appealed to Davaoeños not to be disappointed.
“So, you who are from Davao, I know you feel hurt that you have no appreciable infrastructure there. Just relax. Maybe the next president will take pity on us and give us a new airport. So don’t take it to heart,” he said.
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