Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s supporters aren’t taking no for an answer.
Despite Duterte’s announcement he would not seek the presidency next year, around 1,000 Muslim traders in Metro Manila gathered at Gloria Maris in San Juan City on Tuesday night to “encourage” him to run for the country’s highest post.
Muslims for Duterte Movement convenor Carim Panumpang said that they wanted Duterte to run for President because “among the crop of leaders we now have in the country, we believe he’s the most qualified.”
Panumpang said Duterte was able to show “his excellent performance in governance” during his term as mayor. He noted that in Davao, Muslims were treated the same way as Christians, especially in terms of employment and access to financial services, unlike in other parts of the country where they were discriminated against and given a hard time.
The gathering, which was to discuss the benefits of a federal system of government, was also attended by former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel and his wife Bing, former Gov. Mike Sueno, Roberto Lastimosa, Hermogenes Esperon and actor Aljur Abrenica.
Abrenica said that he is a “solid supporter” of Duterte and that no one forced him to come to the event, noting that he followed what his heart told him to do.
“We are still encouraging him. If he has the heart for the nation then definitely he will run for the presidency. Bottom line here is his care for the country,” Panumpang said.
Duterte declared in Davao City last Monday that he was not running for president.
Despite this, the crusty Davao city mayor prepared to go ahead with various speaking engagements and meetings-with former President Fidel V. Ramos, leaders of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and sundry civic groups.
On his Facebook page, Mar Masanguid, a barangay (village) chief and one of the leaders of the Duterte for President Movement, noted that because the mayor had not canceled his scheduled appearances, including visits to Malabon and Navotas on Wednesday, he remained optimistic that Duterte had not shut the door to a possible presidential run.
At the gathering of Muslim traders in San Juan Tuesday night, Panumpang, said he believed that what Duterte has done in Davao, especially in terms of safety and security, could also be done in the whole country.
Panumpang, chair of the Halal International Chamber of Commerce and Industries of the Philippines Inc., stressed that their group and other organizations weren’t giving up hope that the mayor would seek the presidency.
He said their event at the San Juan restaurant, where the Liberal Party recently had its “gathering of friends” following President’s Aquino endorsement of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, was just to encourage Duterte to run. He added that the cost for holding the event was shouldered by their members and did not come from the mayor’s camp.
Some of the mayor’s supporters who attended the event wore shirts, ballers and vests either bearing the words “Duterte 2016 Atin to Pre” or “Duterte for President.” Tables also had pamphlets which enumerated Duterte’s “aspirations for every sector of the society.”
Panumpang said the pamphlet was made by groups calling for Duterte to run, while its content he said came from Duterte himself. He did not give further details.
As of 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, Duterte, who was expected to attend the event, had not arrived at the venue.
Hot topic in Davao City
In Davao City, Duterte’s political future was a hot topic among jeepney drivers.
Arturo Pastera, a commuter, said he was disappointed by Duterte’s announcement on Monday, but he remained hopeful.
“It is still a month away before the filing of candidacy, a substantial time for the mayor to change his mind,” Pastera said, adding he wanted Duterte to run because there has not been a president from Mindanao.
Aside from the speaking engagements in Malabon and Navotas, Duterte was scheduled to meet with the Rotary Club of Makati in Dasmariñas. Duterte was also set to meet anew with NPC leaders on Wednesday, visit a television network, and speak in Tuguegarao later in the week.
When asked why Duterte had not canceled any of his engagements, Leoncio Evasco, the mayor’s political adviser, said these were scheduled earlier and he was committed to attend them.
Campaign for federalism
Duterte has said his speaking engagements were his contribution to the campaign for federalism, which he sees as the answer to the country’s woes, including rebellion and corruption.
“The phones have not stopped ringing since Mayor Rody Duterte declared for the umpteenth time that he would not run for President in 2016,” said Emmanuel Piñol, a Duterte supporter.
“Most of the callers expressed disappointment and frustration over the ‘decision’ of the mayor not to run but there was a good number of true-blue believers who just would not give up. Indeed, except for the word ‘categorical,’ there was nothing new in the announcement that he would not run,” Piñol added.
Former Butuan City Rep. Charito Plaza, another Duterte supporter, also said she had “strong belief” that Duterte would eventually run for President.
And even if his supporters were disappointed at the announcement made at a Davao hotel on Monday, another rally was being organized in Manila to convince Duterte to change his mind.
The rally, dubbed Occupy Luneta, was set to be held on Sept. 15 at Quirino Grandstand and was being touted as “another Edsa revolution to install a President rather than depose one.”—Jovic Yee in Manila, Germelina Lacorte, Inquirer Mindanao and Leila B. Salaverria, with a report from Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao