Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (Earl O. Condeza/davaotoday.com file photo)
DAVAO CITY – Presidential frontrunner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said if he wins, he would “dismantle the government and build a new one.”
“We will change this government. If I’m there, I will revolt from the inside because this is not a government for the people, so you should join me,” he told the crowd in a village somewhere in the boundary of Makilala and Tulunan towns in North Cotabato where he received a soldier who was captured and detained as a prisoner of war by the New People’s Army Tuesday, April 26.
Duterte announced that he would immediately declare a ceasefire if he wins in the May 9 national elections.
“Ang akong buhaton immediate ceasefire.. naog tanan (What I will do is declare an immediate ceasefire and everyone will come down),” he said.
He said all Filipinos including the Moro people should talk about peace.
At the end of his speech Duterte told the crowd that they should choose the candidate whom they think can help uplift the lives of the Filipinos.
He also ended his speech with “Mabuhay ang NPA! Mabuhay ang NDF! Mabuhay si Duterte! (Long live the NPA! Long live the NDF! Long live Duterte!).”
Ruled by elitists
Duterte said he is hurt with a government that is “ruled by elitists” and is not for the people.
“It pains me to see that for how many years that the government is taxing the people, the people gained nothing. Our government is ruled by elitist, that is true. And the people remain poor,” he said.
Duterte said that there was no other candidate who was talking about Mindanao and the peace process.
“Way kandidato gaistorya sa Mindanao, way gaistorya sa peace process, nga hangtod karon anaa lang gihapon ang atong pakigbangi (There is no candidate who speaks about Mindanao, nobody talks about the peace process, and until now our struggle continues),” he said.
He also said that only a few decides who is the next president. He said this is because the Constitution was made by the rich.
“Mao pud karon, usa ra, duha, tulo ka tawo lang magpili sa President (That’s why now you only have, one, two, or three persons deciding who the next President should be),” said Duterte.
“Pag ako mapresidente gub-on ko ning gubyernoha ni, tindog kog bag-o (If I become president, I will destroy this government to build a new one),” he said.
Communist leader can go home
Duterte admitted that he talked with the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Prof. Jose Maria Sison, on Monday night, April 25, via Skype.
Duterte said he told his former professor: “Sir pauli ngari kay magstorya ta (Sir, come home and we’ll talk).”
He said Sison told him that if he wins in the elections, Sison will come home.
“Kay kana si Sison, 1970 naminaw na ko ana niya. Sa una pang mga miyembro sa KM ngadto. Mao na nga 1970 mao tong among pagka—aktibista. Karon 70 years old na lang ko naa gihapoy giyera (I have listened to Sison in the 1970 way back during our days as activists. Now I’m 70 years old and there is still war),” he said.
Resumption of peace talks
During the last presidential debate on Sunday, April 24, Duterte reiterated his stance to resume peace talks.
“The war in Mindanao runs deep… We have to talk and we have to correct the historical injustice,” he said.
“I tell you as a Mayor of the City of Davao there will be no peace. There can never be a federal government until we talk to the NPAs which has been fighting us,” Duterte said.
“You know, it has to be a development, but you have to make the peace there bago ka makagalaw. Pag hindi mo nakausap ‘to in peace talks, everything will fail (But you have to make peace there before you can move. If you will not talk, everything will fail),” Duterte added.
This was not the first time that the only candidate of Mindanao for the president spoke about rebelling against the government.
In January last year, Duterte also spoke of coalition government during his facilitation of the release of jail warden who was taken by the NPA’s in Monkayo, Compostela Valley province.
On Monday, Duterte also received the five police officers who were taken by the NPAs in Paquibato district here. (With a report from Maria Patricia C. Borromeo/davaotoday.com)
