Exactly five weeks before the 2022 national and local elections, President Rodrigo Duterte declared that he is not backing any candidate except his daughter, vice presidential bet and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
Duterte reiterated his previous stand on endorsements during his visit in Batangas on Monday (April 4) for the inspection of newly established evacuation centers that will benefit victims of Taal eruptions.
“I’m winding up at lahat ‘yung nalalaman ko na magandang asal para sa maging presidente sinasabi ko. It’s because I want to pass it on to the next generation,” he said.
“Ako wala na, tapos na ako. I am not supporting any candidate except, of course, my daughter. Ako, boboto talaga ako sa anak ko,” he added.
Duterte was also reminiscent of his time when he was still campaigning to win the most coveted position in the country as he counts the days of his remaining term in office.
“‘Yung kampanya, because uphill man talaga, number four lang ako eh. So the day that I was elected President, number four lang talaga ako sa rating so double time ako. Kaya halos lahat nag-house-to-house ako. Ang hindi ko lang naakyat, ang — ‘yung volcano kasi natakot ako baka mag-timing mag-erupt wala akong matakbuhan,” he said.
Meanwhile, he urged future politicians to amend the Constitution and revise the country’s partylist system, saying that partylists could be bought by the rich.
“Naagaw ‘yung what was conceived to be a mechanism to give the Filipino — the lowly Filipino na nandiyan sa daan — a voice or voices to be heard in the platform diyan sa halls of Congress,” he said. – Report from Mela Lesmoras/AG
