VIGAN CITY — The camp of presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said it expects black propaganda and personal attacks against him to intensify as the campaign heads to the finish.
“We have been seeing old issues being resurrected with more intensity,” Leoncio Evasco Jr., Duterte’s national campaign manager said in a statement.
“The vilification campaign will reach new heights now that he has taken the lead in voter preference.”
Evasco said they will not back down from what he described as “sinister attacks.”
“We have truth on our side,” Evasco said. “They cannot shoot down the clamor of the people for real and genuine change. And Mayor Rody Duterte is the embodiment of that desire of the people desperate for a new and decisive leadership.”
Evasco said ”it is but natural for other presidential camps and opponents to train their guns on Duterte”.
“Having overtaken them in surveys, they now find themselves trailing and they want to pull us down by throwing everything imaginable at the Davao City mayor — all of them not flattering.”
Evasco has expressed confidence that Duterte will be able to parry all punches coming from different directions. “We are not presumptuous, but we have been expecting this,” he said.
“Whether we are at the bottom, middle or top, people who are threatened by a Duterte victory will employ all means to destroy his image and reputation. That is the name of the election game in Philippine politics, unfortunately,” he added.
He also called on supporters to rally behind and counter all attacks and black propaganda against Duterte with more vigorous campaigning and promotion of the Duterte brand of leadership.
“Mayor Duterte is our last card,” Evasco said.
“When you throw your support, you are investing in your future. Other camps are trying to steal that future from us. Let us pray, and be even more vigilant and protect our dreams for a better future.” (davaotoday.com)
