Duterte to file COC for president on Dec. 10

DAVAO CITY – Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said he will file his certificate of candidacy for president on Dec. 10, the International Day of Human Rights.

However, he clarified that this was so because he still has to talk to several people, including his daughter and former Davao City mayor, Sara Duterte-Carpio, whom he wanted to substitute for him as city mayor candidate of Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod.

But sources said Sara had already agreed to become her father’s substitute when she met with him on Thursday evening.

On his Facebook page, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, Sara’s elder brother, on Friday also posted: “My Mayor Inday Sata Duterte!!! Go ‘Day! Suporta ko all the way.”

READ: Duterte leads in Metro poll | PDP-Laban to push Duterte bid for presidency | Duterte vows to go to SC against any challenge to presidential bid

The mayor said he will file his COC for president amid fears from some of his supporters that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will disqualify him on the ground that he could not be a substitute for Martin Diño, who had withdrawn from the race last month.

“I don’t have any problem with that if it is the decision of the Comelec that I could not be a substitute,” he said.

“If the Comelec decides to disqualify me, then so be it. I won’t die if I won’t become a president,” Duterte said.

If that happens, he said he did not know whether the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) would still put up another candidate.

He also reiterated that he was running on the “matter of principle.” Duterte had earlier said that the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s decision to junk the disqualification case against presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe had prompted his decision to run for the presidency.

“Grace (Poe) is a Filipino citizen but she is not a natural-born citizen,” Duterte said.

READ: Duterte: Poe ruling prompted me to run | He said, she said: Poe denies asking Duterte to be his VP

As this developed, Duterte also reacted to an investigation the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has been conducting here on claims he has been threatening to kill village chiefs who were not supportive of his programs.

“If they have a case, let them file it,” he said.

Duterte then asked reporters on what village chiefs had told the NBI.

“They denied it,” a reporter replied.

He then said: “These barangay captains are liars.”

Duterte has been known to castigate officials who would deviate from what he thought were policies that would be beneficial to the people.

He would also always tell them not to shortchange the public.

“Don’t grab from people’s mouth what they are about to eat. What is theirs is theirs,” he would remind officials at all times. CDG