Davao City Vice Mayor and mayoral candidate Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte (davaotoday.com file photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte joined the miting de avance of Hugpong ng Pagbabago-Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HNP-HTL) on Friday and advised his youngest son, Vice Mayor and mayoral candidate Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte to kill if he wants to be mayor of Davao City.
“Og mayor ka, Baste, kung di ka kabalo mopatay, pagsugod na, pagtuon na karung gabii, kay ang mayor kung di mopatay, mahadlok mopatay, may problema jud mo, (If you want to be mayor, Baste, if you don’t know how to kill, learn to kill, start learning tonight. If a mayor doesn’t kill, is afraid to do it, then you have a problem)” he said.
The elder Duterte discussed his usual topic in speeches about drugs and criminality in the country. He said he expects these problems will confront the next mayor.
“May problema ang Pilipinas ug mobalik gyud ang droga. Ambot na lang kung unsaon kay ako mo-retire na gyud ko” (The Philippines has a problem and the drug problem will return. I don’t know how this will be dealt with when I retire), Duterte said.
The elder Duterte was the longest serving mayor of Davao City, from 1988 to 1998, 2001-2010 and 2013 to 2016 and earned his reputation for his “war on drugs” stance and his link to the Davao Death Squad (DDS).
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Baste, who was on stage, managed a smirk when he heard his father’s words.
Duterte went on with his speech attacking his critics such as ABS-CBN which was denied a renewed license by his allies in Congress. He also ripped the International Criminal Court which is probing his war on drugs for massive human rights violations on the killing of suspects.
Baste Duterte is running against three other mayoral candidates, notably former third district Congressman Ruy Elias Lopez.
Duterte thanked the public for electing him in public office since 1988 to eventually becoming the country’s head of state.
“Pila na ka henerasyon ang pagserbisyo, di nako matugkad, nagpasalamat jud ko ninyo, kinsa ma’y nagtuo nga modagan ko pagka-presidente? (After generations of service, I cannot fathom it. I am thankful to all of you. Who would have thought I had ran for the presidency?)” he said. (davaotoday.com)
