‘Duterte set for the presidency’

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines  – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is definitely running for president in the May 2016 elections, former Butuan City representative Charito Plaza said yesterday.

According to Plaza, Duterte has not yet declared his candidacy because it might be too early.

“While others who declared too early and have long been campaigning even from the time of their last election, it is abuse and inappropriate to use their office and peoples’ money for their illegal and premature campaigning. These actions give the incumbents the bigger advantage, thus unfair to the non-incumbents,” Plaza said.

Plaza said she was appointed as vice president for PDP-Laban for Mindanao.

Plaza said Duterte’s supporters in Luzon and Metro Manila started their simultaneous nationwide caravan yesterday and are set to pass the Visayas and Mindanao region via the nautical highway and end in Davao City on Aug. 28.

“We will all meet, Duterte supporters in Davao City on Aug. 28 to show and express our support for Mayor Duterte, including the people’s plea for him to run for the presidency. Not until he files his candidacy in October will Mayor Duterte start talking as a candidate. This is despite his supporters’ clamor increasing nationwide and even from OFWs,” Plaza said, referring to the overseas Filipino workers.

“And to think all these participants of the nationwide caravan in support for Duterte will spend their, our own money in all these forthcoming activities only to show massive civilian support for him to run without single government funds and machinery spent, unlike others,” she said.

Groups from Visayas, Mindanao and Luzon have pledged support for the tough-talking mayor should he give the presidency a run in next year’s polls.

Duterte himself even called his supporters “Dutertistas,” some of whom will stage a big rally in Cagayan de Oro City this week to urge him to run for president.

Jesus Hinlo Jr., a convenor of the Duterte for President Movement, said they wanted Duterte to run for president because of his support for federalism, his strong campaign against crime and his vision for the country’s progress through industrialization.

In Mindanao, former South Cotabato governor Mike Sueno said Duterte supporters decided to hold the rally as a “show of force” so that the mayor can finally see how much the people of the south support his presidential run. – With Edith Regalado