Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. KIMBERLY DE LA CRUZ/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Will he or will he not?
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday hinted that he might just run for president in next year’s elections, despite repeatedly shunning calls from various sectors urging him to join the presidential race.
In his weekly show, “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa,” Duterte said that he does not approve of the way Filipinos are currently being treated.
“I do not like the way oppressed Filipinos are being treated now. Oppressed na, wala pang matakbuhan,” he said.
“Kapag sinobrahan ninyo ang kastigo sa Pilipino, I might just decide to run as president,” the Davao City mayor added.
Duterte filed his certificate of candidacy for reelection as Davao City mayor. However, he was picked as the substitute candidate of PDP-Laban as its presidential bet despite fielding party member Martin Diño.
Despite his seemingly “final” decision not to run for president, Duterte has been very vocal on his stand on several issues, most recently on the alleged “laglag-bala” scheme in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) where he urged President Benigno Aquino III to take “drastic” steps to stop the scam.
He also said that if he were President, he will make the employees involved in the alleged scam to swallow the bullets.
“I have no ambition for it but if I were President, I will force you to swallow bullets. I do not care if you will die. If it will get stuck in your anus then I will have you undergo medical operation to enlarge its opening,” Duterte said on his Sunday TV show “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” last November 1. JE