Duterte promises ‘metamorphosis’ after inauguration

DAVAO CITY, Philippines— The foul-mouthed, trash-talking, crime-busting mayor and President-elect Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday promised to metamorphose into a butterfly after he is inaugurated as president on June 30.

After his almost two-hour press conference, which he dedicated at cursing the media and bishops who he called corrupt and hypocritical, Duterte said he enjoyed being rude because his days are numbered before he should start acting presidential.

“I am not yet president. Maya maya, maghintay kayo. I’m really a rude person. I’m enjoying my last time as a rude person,” Duterte said.

“When I become president, when I take my oath of office… ibang storya na yun… There will be a metamorphosis,” Duterte added.

He said his metamorphosis would be from the foul-mouthed mayor to a presidential leader.

“Ladies and gentlemen, media who are here you know when I get to be president, I have to tone down on my cursing and all that would be a past, a history. I have to concentrate on what happens to this country and to develop it and make it progress,” Duterte said in demonstrating his presidential demeanor.

Duterte had said before that the media should not always believe what he has said, especially if it was preposterous.

READ: Duterte: If it’s preposterous, then don’t believe it!

But in the press conference, Duterte said he was being serious.

“Do you have any questions for me?” he concluded, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

“I’m telling you how I would behave. That’s going to be a metamorphosis in the mind, steadily from a caterpillar it blossoms into a butterfly,” he added. TVJ