Duterte on ‘tactical alliance’ against him: Not scared

Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

Presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte remained unfazed by reports that his rivals have forged “a tactical alliance” to defeat him in the  May national elections.

“I am not scared and I shouldn’t be scared,” Duterte told reporters on the sidelines of the birthday celebration of his friend, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, on Monday night in Davao City.

A Philippine Star report said that the camps of presidential aspirants Sen. Grace Poe and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II were in talks to “expose Duterte as unfit to be president.”

“If they will pull me down, they will also be pulling each other down—just like crabs. No different from the crabs that I know,” Duterte said.

Leoncio Evasco Jr., national campaign manager of Duterte, said their bet was not affected by the supposed  alliance to bring him down.

“Rody is not frazzled by this at all. We are not affected. This is something that we have been expecting because they are desperate with the unstoppable surge of Rody to the top of the race,” Evasco said on Monday.

READ: Duterte posts 12-point lead over Poe in new Pulse Asia poll

In previous interviews, Duterte has said that he was expecting more attacks from his rivals after his numbers continue to surge in surveys.

However, Evasco said the reported alliance was “the least of their concern now,” saying they are focused on reaching more people and solidifying support for Duterte.

Evasco said their camp was confident that no amount of black propaganda and negative campaigning can persuade the Filipino people against voting for Duterte and his agenda of “real change.”

READ: Duterte camp ‘humbled’ by sustained rise in surveys

“We believe that there is nothing that can possibly hurt Rody’s chances of being the president,” he said.

“As we have said before, we have been expecting these attacks and we know they can be more sinister and desperate as we are approaching the homestretch,” he added.

Less than two weeks before Election Day, the Duterte camp said the tough-talking mayor would emerge as the last man standing.

READ: Elections 2016 surveys on presidential, VP candidate preference

“They can campaign together against Duterte and intensify their attacks, but in the end, we are confident as we are ready that Duterte will be the last man standing,” Evasco said. “This is because Duterte has the support of the millions and millions of Filipinos who are sick and tired of the rotten government ruled by the oligarchs and run by the same politicians.” RAM