DAVAO CITY – Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said that he will not support the administration’s Liberal Party if Department of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima will run under the LP ticket.
“Basta naa si De Lima sa ilang ticket sa liberal, sorry na lang [If De Lima will be in the Liberal ticket, I’m sorry],” the mayor said.
“Ingnon gyod nako si Mar (Roxas). Basta og naa si De Lima, dili gyod ko. And even if maski wala si De Lima siguro [I will really tell Mar (Roxas). If De Lima will be there, I will not (support the LP). And even maybe if De Lima will not be there],” he added.
De Lima reportedly said she is 80 percent certain of running for a senatorial position in the 2016 elections.
Meanwhile, Duterte said that he is happy for DILG Secretary Mar Roxas after he was endorsed by President Benigno Aquino III to be LP’s standard-bearer.
“Nalipay ra ko kay naa na gyod kontra si (Jejomar) Binay ug Grace Poe [I’m just happy because finally, (Jejomar) Binay and Grace Poe will have an opponent],” he said.
He also said that Roxas’ ratings will recover and increase after the endorsement.
“Maka-recover na si Mar because he is supported by the administration, so he has the resources. That is the advantage of being supported by the incumbent president,” Duterte said.
In a nationwide survey on preferred candidates for president in 2016 conducted by Pulse Asia last May 30 to June 5, Poe surged past Binay and topped the list. Poe got 30 percent Asia Pulse, while Binay got 22 percent.
Mayor Duterte climbed to number three spot with 15 percent followed by Roxas with only 10 percent.
Duterte said that people should not base their decisions on survey results.
“Tan-awa na sila og maayo og kinsay angayan nila. Ayaw ng rating rating. It could be Mar, it could be Binay, it could be Grace Poe. Dili ni popularity contest [Look on who among them is suitable. Don’t base it on ratings. It could be Mar, it could be Binay, it could be Grace Poe. This is not a popularity contest],” he said.
“Look beyond the rating and the pictures. (Tan-awa) ang ilang pagkatao nga ilang ginapakita [Look beyond the rating and pictures. (Look) on the persona that they are showing]” he said.(davaotoday.com)