Criminals, rival pols in same boat vs Duterte

 Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER PHOTO/ GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Mob bosses, drug lords and illegal gambling kingpins are really put out by a Duterte candidacy.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Saturday warned of conspiracies and sabotage to derail the presidential candidacy of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Cayetano said the threat came not just from Duterte’s political rivals but also from people whose interests would be hurt if he was victorious because of his tough stance against crime and corruption.

And this includes the organized crime syndicates, said the senator, Duterte’s vice presidential running mate who is now acting as his spokesperson.

“When one is a clear leader, there is always the likelihood of being ganged-up [on]. Apart from political opponents, no crime lords or drug lords would want him to win and hamper their illegal business,” Cayetano said.

According to Cayetano, Duterte’s popularity being evident, the challenge for the candidate and his supporters now is to “safeguard the legal process.”

After months of suspenseful anticipation, Duterte last Friday filed his candidacy for President under the PDP-Laban party, and was quickly met with a petition to disqualify him on the grounds that the certificate of candidacy that the PDP-Laban presidential candidate that he replaced, Martin Diño, had filed, was flawed.

“This early there are already conspiracies to block his entry in the race and derail his bid for the presidency and are doing everything to bar him from running,” Cayetano said.

The senator said the Duterte camp expected more obstacles to be thrown their way just to hamper Duterte’s presidential bid, including from people who would surely be hurt should he become President.

“He had set the example here in Davao and he could do it nationwide,” said the senator, who was interviewed on Samal Island where he went to meet with campaign volunteers accompanied by Duterte’s trusted right hand, Bong Go.

Asked about security arrangements for the candidate with the perceived threat from criminal syndicates now that Duterte had officially joined the presidential race, Cayetano said they were prepared and had begun setting up their national organization.

“Of course there are security measures that we cannot reveal. But what people don’t know is Duterte has a deep relationship with God. He is not fatalistic, but he believes that he will not be harmed and he is also always surrounded by his people,” he said.

The senator said Duterte was a God-fearing person who may have an “iron-fisted principle” but had a soft heart, especially for the children.

What Duterte’s camp is preparing now is for the candidate to go around the Philippines, he said.

“We are praying that he can go around the country to show the people his sincerity to serve,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano said he would not ask the tough-talking mayor to change his style, amid observations that his candidate does not come across as “presidential.”

“We want the mayor to reform and change the country, not for the mayor to change his principles and what he is,”’ he said.

“Duterte is about order, respect of the law and equality,” Cayetano said.

He urged rival candidates to stop attacking Duterte.

“Instead of attacking Mayor Duterte, let’s duly recognize his accomplishments, and learn and find ways how his success can be replicated in other cities,” Cayetano said.

Based on the latest data released by user-contributed survey site Numbeo, Davao is now the fourth safest city in the world with a low crime index of 17.94. The Police Regional Office in Davao also reported a decrease in the entire region’s crime volume from January to March this year compared to the same period last year.

To effectively deal with the issue of rising criminality, Cayetano called for an end to “pointless political bickering” and instead work collectively in making the Philippines a safe place for Filipinos.

“Let’s not put each other down. Let’s just work together in making our country safe for our people. What this country needs are strong solutions and fast action. Suppressing crime and catching criminals are no easy tasks, but Mayor Duterte was able to do this in Davao. He can do this in the rest of the country,” he said.

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