Duterte urged: Attend proclamation for ‘millions of fans’

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and Romulo Macalintal. INQUIRER FILES

An election lawyer urged President-elect Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday to attend his proclamation on Monday for his “millions of adoring fans” and as a show of respect for Congress.

“Duterte should not disappoint these millions of people and adoring fans on this once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Romulo Macalintal.

Duterte, the first President to hail from Mindanao, won the presidency by a landslide with 16,601,997 votes.

Macalintal noted that Duterte’s proclamation as the 16th President of the country “will never happen again in his life because of the constitutional ban on reelection of any elected President of the Philippines.”

The lawyer said that while it was not mandatory for winners to be present at the proclamation, Duterte’s presence would  show respect for Congress.

“Duterte should heed the calls and advice of his advisers and close friends to be present during said proclamation,” Macalintal said. “His presence will show his reverence and respect to the Congress of the Philippines which is mandated by law to canvass the results and proclaim the winners for President and Vice President,” he added.

The 71-year-old President-elect is standing firm on his decision not to attend his proclamation on Monday.

“I am not attending any proclamation. I have never attended any proclamation in my life,” Duterte said in a media briefing late Saturday evening.

“In all of my political aspirations, nanalo naman ako. Sabi ko nga baka God would want me to taste defeat but it never happened,” he added.

He will be represented by his lawyers during the event where he is supposed to be proclaimed alongside Vice President-elect Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo./rga