LP man in Mindanao says Duterte is man to beat in 2016 polls

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte, Philippines — A Liberal Party stalwart in Mindanao has said Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is “the man to beat” in the 2016 elections, following the latest result of a nationwide survey by pollster Social Weather Stations – which showed Duterte topping the latest presidential preference survey.

But in an interview with reporters on Monday, Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario clarified he would remain a member of the LP and would stick to campaign for the party’s standard-bearer, Mar Roxas.

Based on results of the SWS survey conducted days before Duterte’s controversial profanity-laced proclamation speech, the mayor emerged as the top choice of 38 percent of 1,200 respondents across the country and economic classes, or 456 of those surveyed.

The survey was sponsored by businessman William Lima, according to a statement posted by SWS on its website on December 7.

Roxas came in third with 15 percent, behind Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senator Grace Poe who were tied at 21 percent.

“Digong (Duterte’s nickname) is the man to beat at this time. It shows now he is the leader (based on) the latest survey,” the 81-year old Del Rosario, LP chairman in Davao del Norte, told reporters.

But Del Rosario clarified that while he was happy for a Mindanaoan presidential candidate like Duterte, he swore allegiance to his party and would stand by it.

He said that prior to the latest developments concerning the controversially popular Davao City mayor, he had already made his commitment to support LP.

Duterte is running under Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), founded by Mindanao politicians like former Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., and currently chaired by the latter’s son and namesake, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

“I don’t see any reason why I should leave my political party that I am committed to. That’s the essence of democracy to me,” Del Rosario said.

He acknowledged that Duterte’s popularity in Mindanao could dent Roxas’ chances in the region, echoing earlier assessment by local politicians that the administration bet was a hard sell.

“No matter what we do, after all, when election comes, it’s the people who will decide, isn’t it?” the governor asked.

The governor expressed his support for President Benigno Aquino III’s Daang Matuwid (Straight Path) under Roxas.

In Cagayan de Oro City, former mayor Vicente Emano’s Padayon Pilipino party was still committed to the presidential bid of Vice President Jejomar Binay amid Duterte’s presidential run, Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano, son of Vicente, said.

However, the younger Emano said they were not closing the door on possible talks with Duterte’s camp.

“We can only support a single (presidential) candidate,” he said.

The elder Emano and Binay were not just political allies. They are close friends, he said.

In Cotabato City, former Sultan Kudarat governor Sultan Pax Mangudadatu said he had not categorically endorsed Binay during a small forum in his hometown of Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat on November 28.

Mangudadatu said he just made a comparison between iron-fist and benign local leaderships, which he described as “ungodly,” and “compassionate,” respectively.

Without naming names, Mangudadatu said, he told the forum of some 50 traditional leaders that a certain official has publicly encouraged killing as a way to stop crime, while another local leadership showed signs of compassion to its people.

Mangudadatu said being both a traditional and elected leader, he had been tough against criminals in his younger days, but as he got older, he realized that the people needed compassionate leadership in the local government unit (LGU).

“So these were two contrasting things with which I was trying to show that while I had been tough when I was younger, now I’m turning compassionate, because as I get older, I see that people need compassion,” Mangudadatu said, adding that: “The mention of cake to senior citizens was just an example to illustrate a point in a discussion.”

He said that as a senior citizen, he knew how grateful elder persons could be whenever they were cared for.  He then cited the cake being given out to senior citizens of Makati City on their birthdays, a program started by Vice President Jejomar Binay when he was still mayor of that city.

He said that in that part of his speech, he did not mention Liberal Party bet Mar Roxas, because “obviously the latter has been in the national leadership all his public life.”

“The true measure of good leadership is compassion for life, and not the total disregard of life’s immense God-given worth. And even if it is your way of addressing the problem of criminality, still, that argument for the disregard of life’s worth would not stand, as espoused by one presidential candidate,” Mangudadatu said.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the current frontrunner in the presidential race, based on surveys, has espoused killing crime suspects if they resist arrest and has publicly threatened to kill crime suspects, particularly those linked to drug trafficking, if they do not leave Davao City.  SFM