CEBU CITY—Presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte slammed his rival Manuel “Mar” Roxas II as a “pretentious leader” during the second presidential debate here on Sunday.
Duterte and Roxas got in a heated exchange over the rising criminality and illegal drugs in the country.
Duterte was asked how he would end criminality and illegal drugs in the country within the first six months if he would be elected president in the upcoming May elections, citing the high criminality rate in Davao City in 2010.
“I will do it, just like what I did to Davao,” the tough-talking mayor said.
The mayor explained that the high crime rate in Davao includes anti-smoking and urinating violations and not just about high-profile criminals.
However, Roxas, citing a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) report, said villages in Davao City have been infested with illegal drugs.
Roxas earlier said that Duterte’s claim that Davao City is safe was a “myth.”
Duterte then hit back at Roxas, saying the latter as the former Interior secretary had control over the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“We do not exercise control over the police,” Duterte told Roxas.
Binay chimed in mocking Roxas.
“Si Mar walang alam sa (Mar does not know anything about) local government,” he said.
But Roxas cited his accomplishment as an Interior secretary, citing the police have arrested drug syndicates and criminals during his stint as a cabinet secretary.
“Yes, inaresto mo pero anong ginawa ninyo (Yes, you had them arrested, but what else did you do)?” Duterte asked.
“You are claiming credit that is not yours. You are a pretentious leader,” he said.
But Roxas hit back at the mayor’s comments.
“Ang totoo ay nahuli na eh, nahuli ‘yan eh at patuloy ang ating laban sa droga. Hindi ‘yan pagiging pretentious. Nangyari ‘yan, nasa diyaryo ‘yan,“ he said.
(The truth is, they have been arrested and the fight against drugs continues. That is not being pretentious. It is a reality; it has been reported.)
But Duterte continued hitting Roxas for his remarks.
“This administration allowed shabu to be cooked inside prison. Is that performance?” he said. “Wala talaga ‘yang alam (you really don’t know anything),” he added.
Roxas didn’t let Duterte’s tirades pass, describing Duterte’s concept of justice.
“Yan ang brand ng Duterte justice—kung ano ang naisip niya kahit hindi totoo, ‘yan ang kanyang paniniwalaan,” he said.
(That is Duterte’s brand of justice—whatever is ingrained in his mind, even if it’s not true, it is what he’ll believe in.)
Duterte then brought up the question on Roxas’ Wharton education.
“You’re a fraud, you’re pretentious. Pati edukasyon sinali mo ‘yung Wharton hindi ka naman taga- Wharton (You claimed to have studied from Wharton even if you did not),” he said.
But Roxas asserted he was a Wharton graduate.
“Hindi ko problema na hindi naunawaan ni Mayor Duterte ang pagka-graduate sa Wharton. Malinaw na malinaw, Wharton nagsabi na graduate ako doon sa kanila,” Roxas said.
(It’s not my problem that Mayor Duterte cannot understand that I graduated from Wharton. Wharton already said that I graduated there.) IDL/RAM
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