MANILA, Philippines — Presumptive president Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte on Monday revealed his initial plans for the country once he assumes office.
Duterte has garnered about 16 million votes in the partial and unofficial count of the Commission on Elections, sealing his victory in the presidential race.
Election 2016: Partial, Unofficial Tally
During a press conference in Davao City, Duterte bared some of his plans for the Philippines:
- Control drugs and crime
- Suppress crime in his first 100 days
- Increase compensation of workforce by way of allowances
- No more licensing of heavy firearms, only rifles, shotguns and short firearms will be allowed
- Restore death penalty for heinous crimes (rape with death of victim, kidnapping with ransom, robbery with homicide)
- Issuance of clearances by government agencies within 72 hours
- No more "lakbay-aral"
- No more deploying of barangay "tanods"
- Mandatory curfew for minors, arrest parents due to neglect of duties
- No drinking alcoholic beverages in public places
- Create a Department of Overseas Workers
- Order arrest of illegal recruiters
- No collections of any kind for students in public schools
- Taxi drivers must have loose change at all times
- Call for truce and consider release of all political prisoners as part of confidence-building
- Impose a speed limit in EDSA
- Sell the presidential yacht to fund buildings for the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police
Duterte also revealed the names of the possible members of his Cabinet. He admitted that he is also willing to offer some of the government's top posts to the Communist Party of the Philippines if they decide to join his administration.
The presumptive president discouraged his supporters from glorifying him, stressing that he finds extra adulation "corny."
“Even if I am your president, I would just consider me equal to you in terms of rights and responsibilities,” Duterte said.