Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte at a private birthday in Dasmarinas, Cavite. Duterte announced his intention to run for the presidency.
INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON
Allies of Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Mar Roxas scored Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for his presidential bid in 2016 by substituting Martin Diño, who earlier filed what others say is a defective certificate of candidacy (COC).
Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez even called it a “bad precedent” if Duterte is allowed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to take Diño’s place as presidential candidate of Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
In a press conference Tuesday, Fernandez pointed out that Diño’s certificate of candidacy is defective because it indicated that Diño would run for Pasay city mayor instead of president.
“Can he still run? Iyon ang tanong. Kasi… nakita ko iyong certificate of candidacy niya, ni Diño, well, nakalagay talaga, talagang he is running for Mayor ng Pasay City, so ang daming complication. Well, with all due respect, pero parang papaano mo iko-comprehend itong finile niya na. It will set a bad precedent naman siguro,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez said if the Comelec allows Duterte to substitute Diño, other candidates in the next elections may resort to similar moves to use substitute candidates until the right time comes for them to declare their electoral bids.
Even election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said Duterte may not even be allowed to replace Diño, who filed what he deemed a defective COC.
READ: Duterte may no longer run for president by substitution – election lawyer
Congressman Fernandez scored Duterte for being “pabebe” in delaying his declaration for president.
“Baka lahat na lang ng tao ganoon ang gawin and then you choose on the right time para tumakbong substitute ka. I think hindi naman tayo ano rito para magpa-bebe tayo na tipo bang lagi na lamang titingnan natin iyong aksyon niya na lagi tayo sa huli magfa-file,” Fernandez said.
“I think this is not right and we have to set it—we are under the rule of law and we have to follow the law, ‘di ba?” he added.
Asked if Duterte’s bid may dampen the candidacy of Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas, Camiguin Rep. XJ Romualdo said Duterte’s possible candidacy had always been considered in the previous voters’ opinion polls, where Duterte trailed behind Roxas.
“The possible candidacy of Mayor Duterte has always been parang in play pagdating sa surveys, pagdating sa mga analysis. Hindi ba pagdating sa surveys palagi namang nandoon ang name niya, palagi namang lumalabas. So, I think now, parang he was always treated as a candidate even before,” Romualdo said.
“So even now, ngayon na nag-declare na siya, I don’t think may major changes naman,” he added.
‘Duterte will probably sweep’ votes in Mindanao
In an ambush interview Tuesday, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., who is LP vice chair, admitted that Duterte is expected to sweep the votes in Mindanao.
“I’m sure Mayor Duterte will probably sweep the place (in Mindanao)… I assume all three candidates are going to find competition there,” said Belmonte, who is also a campaign manager for Roxas.
Belmonte said Duterte may face legal challenges though for his defective COC.
“Malaking impact ang pagpasok ni Digong (Duterte). As I said, there may be some legal obstacles that he has to overcome,” Belmonte said.
You Against Corruption and Poverty party-list Rep. Carol Jayne Lopez downplayed Duterte’s election sweep in Mindanao by saying Davao city, Duterte’s turf, is only one of several provinces and highly urbanized cities in the country.
“Davao City is not the entire Mindanao; it is not the entire 82 provinces, so it is just one area or one region. If it will make a dent, as he has said, we have always treated Mayor Duterte as one of the candidate, so walang major effect din naman iyon sa amin,” said Lopez, who hails from General Santos city.
Change of heart
Duterte had repeatedly said he would not run for president, even refusing to file a COC at the Comelec during the filing of candidacies from Oct. 12 to 16.
With an option for him to substitute Diño who filed as presidential bet of PDP-Laban, Duterte declared that he would never be a substitute candidate.
“Wala ‘yung substitute-substitute. Hindi ako pang-substitute. Pang original ako,” Duterte said.
READ: Duterte: ‘I won’t be a substitute candidate’
“Nothing has changed. I am comfortable where I am now… I want to retire. I am tired. Give the presidency to the one who wants it. I don’t,” Duterte added on his official Facebook account.
His refusal to file a COC even sparked a social media trend “Kalbo Para sa Pagbabago” led by Duterte’s daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, who went bald in convincing her father to run.
READ: Sara shaves hair, denies she convinced Duterte to drop 2016 bid
On Saturday, or a little more than a month since he ruled out running for president, Duterte suddenly changed tack and said he was convinced to run following the Senate Electoral Tribunal decision junking the disqualification case against presidential bet Senator Grace Poe and declaring her a natural-born citizen.
Duterte’s running mate is Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.
READ: IT’S OFFICIAL: Duterte, Cayetano team up for 2016
Leading in the surveys, Poe’s presidential bid is hounded by questions over her natural born status, a constitutional requirement for president, because she was a foundling in Jaro, Iloilo.
Duterte said he cannot accept an “American president.”
“(Poe) will be a presumptive President whose citizenship is based on presumption. The highest position is reserved for a true-blue Filipino,” Duterte said.
“I cannot accept an American President,” Duterte said.
Duterte later bashed his critics for saying his reason for running is superficial.
READ: Duterte fires back at bashers
“Anong hindi magandang rason? Magka-presidente ka na Amerikano, hindi magandang rason?” Duterte said.
“As a matter of principle, hindi ko matanggap ‘yan. Ayaw ko ng tao na half-American, half-Filipino (na maging presidente). By treaty, she is presumed to be a citizen, a citizen only,” he added.
Duterte vowed to challenge before the Supreme Court any moves to derail his presidential bid.
READ: Duterte: I’ll fight DQ case