Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has made a promise to the residents of Mindanao as he urged them to kill him if he fails to resolve crime and corruption in the country during the first six months of his term should he become the next president.
Duterte said that to eliminate crime and corruption in his first six months as president would serve as his “greatest contribution” to the country.
“If I succeed [in resolving crime and corruption] perhaps that would be my greatest contribution to the country, but if I fail, kill me,” Duterte said in a statement issued on Sunday.
Aside from reiterating his promise to wage a war against crime and corruption, the feisty mayor also proposed a crackdown on illegal fishing in Mindanao.
“To keep the industry vibrant, we must protect our maritime resources. I will enforce a crackdown on illegal fishers, unregulated and unreported fishing, especially from foreign vessels. Those who will be caught will be penalized severely. They will wriggle like fish caught on dry land,” he said.
On his part, Duterte’s running mate Alan Peter Cayetano pitched various policies which would help fishermen such as the provision of better working conditions and fixed wages.
“Ang ating mga mangingisda ay binabayaran depende sa huli nilang isda. Kung walang huli, walang kita. Mas malala, wala na ngang kita, nalalagay pa sa panganib ang kanilang mga buhay. Hindi pupwede ito. Under a Duterte-Cayetano government, our fishermen, who provide food on our tables, will be paid twice the daily minimum wage in the region and receive hazard pay. This is on top of the commissions which they will get from their catch,” Cayetano said.
The tandem also proposed the building of a Mindanao Railway System with the aim of facilitating “inclusive growth” in the region.