DAVAO CITY – Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said he will not be attending the ‘million people’s march’, a rally to be mounted by his supporters in Manila on September 26.
“No. Definitely no. I have said I am not running,” Duterte said reiterating his previous pronouncements that he will be retiring next year, during his Sunday weekly television program.
Asked by the program host if he will be going out of the country, Duterte said “murag ingon ana para wala nay samaan ng loob (It seems that way, so that there will be no more hard feelings).”
“You better look somewhere else, ayaw na sa ako kay tiguwang na ko (Don’t expect from me. I am old.),” he said.
Duterte said if he will appear in the gathering it would be a “hele hele bago quiere” which refers to a Spanish colloquial saying that means “pakipot”.
Duterte announced on September 7 he is not running for president.
“Nasulti na man nako wala lagi ko ambisyon magpresidente. Lisod magtrabaho nga wala kay gana (I have already said that I don’t have an ambition to be a president. It’s hard to work when you are not motivated),” he said.
Duterte even joked that he is not running because the military has already killed New People’s Army Commander Leoncio Pitao alias Ka Parago, who was supposedly his running mate.
“Kato akong gusto nga ma-vice president unta namatay na man gud so nawad-an kog gana (The person who I wanted to be my Vice-President is already dead so now I am not motivated),” he said.
He said he is expecting that “a lot of people will be disappointed.”
“And you know the Filipinos could have a better choice, daghan man diha, wala pa man nahuman ang filing (There are a lot out there; the filing of candidacy is not yet over),” he said.
The gathering dubbed as “Call for Filipino People’s President” will take place in Rizal Park at 2:00 pm.
In a Facebook post which former governor of North Cotabato Manny Pinol wrote, co-chair of the organizing group Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte National Executive Coordinating Council (MRRD-NECC) Mike Sueno said they are urging those who could not be physically present during the rally “to tie red, blue, white and yellow ribbons in their jeepneys, taxis, trucks, cars and homes to signify their support for Duterte.”
Sueno, who is former South Cotabato governor, was also quoted as saying that the gathering will be almost simultaneous with the issuance by PDP Laban of the Certificate of People’s Nomination.
He said even if Duterte is not attending, he believes “Duterte will be watching and listening.” (davaotoday.com)
