FVR to Duterte: Better do it or you don’t

Former President Fidel V. Ramos. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

It seems like former President Fidel V. Ramos has joined millions of Filipinos who are confused with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s mixed messages on presidency.

“Hey Rody! You better do it or you don’t!”

At the Veterans Day commemoration in Fort Bonifacio, an animated former President Fidel V. Ramos sent this message to Duterte, who recently said he might run for president yet again.

Amid the “tanim-bala scheme” in Manila airports, Duterte, who still has until December to make up his mind on the presidency, hinted that he might gun for the presidency in the 2016 national elections.

“I do not like the way oppressed Filipinos are being treated now. Oppressed na, wala pang matakbuhan,” Duterte said in his local show.

“Kapag sinobrahan ninyo ang kastigo sa Pilipino, I might just decide to run as president,” he added.

READ: Duterte ‘might run for president’ to avenge ‘oppressed’ Filipinos

But the feisty mayor denied receiving a formal invitation from PDP-Laban to become its substitute presidential candidate, dismissing it as a mere “press release.”

In September, the tough-talking mayor approached Ramos to seek his advice on the presidency.

“I gave him a copy of my platform of my governance. I gave him a copy of my handbook for the campaigners,” Ramos said.

Ramos said that he shared with Duterte his wisdom, but the mayor could not follow his advice because “he is always flipflopping.”

Asked about Duterte’s response when he told Duterte to run or forget about the presidency, the former chief executive smirked and said “you will know later.” Anthony Q. Esguerra