DAVAO CITY – Presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said he is not affected by recent surveys which showed him behind Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senator Grace Poe.
Duterte even jested that he was happy to unseat Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas in the fourth spot.
“Whether you place me at 10, I have no syndrome in figures. Place me at 1,2, 3, 4, fine.. Katong nag number 4 ko lipay ko kay number 4 man si Roxas so natanggal nako sya sa number 4 (When I landed in fourth spot I was happy because Roxas was in number four so I have unseated him),” he said during the last episode for the year of his weekly television program, Gikan sa Masa Para sa Masa.
In the recent Pulse Asia Survey released last December 22, Binay’s ratings increased by 14 percent from the previous rating in September with 33%.
Duterte with 23% climbed seven points from the previous survey, sharing a close second spot with Poe who got 21%.
The survey was done from December 4-11 and covered 1,800 registered voters. The survey had an error margin of ±2% at the 95% confidence level.
In the Social Weather Station Survey conducted from December 12-14, Duterte landed in third spot with 20 percent following Roxas with 22 percent and Binay and Poe who led the survey with 26 percent.
“Eh ano? Basta ako tatakbo at yun ang programa ko. Pag ayaw ng Pilipino all you have to do is to vote,mamili kayo sa apat. Simple as that (So what? What matters is I am running and those are my programs. If the Filipinos do not like me, all you have to do is vote and choose from the other four candidates),” said Duterte.
“I do not lose sleep because of surveys and I will not die if I do not become the president of this country. I said I have served my government for 40 years,” he said.
Asked whether he believes his cussing has affected the results of the survey, Duterte admitted that he cannot stop it.
“I’m laying down my cards openly. That’s why if you think I do not deserve the presidency, fine. All you have to do is to vote,” said Duterte.
He said the voters should only think about him during the last days of the campaign.
“And if you think I deserve the office go ahead. let me know by electing me, but if you do not like me then I do not like you, ana ra man na (that’s how it is),” he said.
Duterte also reiterated that if he gets elected, he would put an end to criminality and corruption.
“I promise you, within three to six months, I will stop corruption in government. I will stop criminality, I will stop drugs in other places,” he said.
Duterte refused to name the places in respect to the officials but he revealed that in some areas, the people are buying drugs with their farm animals.
“Didto sa uban lugar ang droga nisaka na sa bukid. Ang bayad nila ang mga baboy ug ang mga hayop– ilang kambing, ilang baka. Easy money man gud ang addiction (In other areas, drug trade has gone to the countrysides. They buy drugs using their pigs — their goats, their cows. Drug addiction is easy money),” he said.
He also said he will recommend Congress to restore death penalty by hanging in public.
Duterte added that he will implement the curfew to minors and the firecracker ban in the country like what he did in Davao.
“Retirement days na nako ni (It’s already my retirement days). If you do not like me, I do not like you. If you like me, I love you,” said Duterte. (davaotoday.com)
