Duterte to Leyteños: Elect a Bisaya president

ORMOC CITY, Philippines  — Presidential candidate Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, in a rally in this city, told the crowd to elect a Bisaya president to break the cycle of elected presidents coming from Luzon.

"While they (people from Luzon) are not bad, it is time for us to have somebody (in Malacañang) who speaks the same language and understand the real plight of the Visayan and the Filipino people," Duterte spoke in the Visayan dialect to a crowd the police estimated to be between 5,000 and 8,000.

Duterte had just came from another rally in Maasin City, where he traced his birth before his family settled in Cebu and later in Davao City where he became mayor for decades.

The Ormoc rally was organized by several groups of Duterte supporters including those from the towns in the northern part of Leyte and Biliran provinces. Duterte's running mate, Senator Allan Cayetano was also in the event.

Duterte told Ormocanons of his resolve to end corruption, illegal drugs and crimes if elected president, and stop the present state of the country where criminals act with impunity.

"That was the scenario in Davao City before. From the time I was elected mayor 20 years ago, it gradually changed into what is Davao of today," he said, crediting this development to his brand of management of a city transformed into a peaceful place, despite the mixture of cultures there.

To the delightful and agreeable roar of the crowd, Duterte said he intended to use the Davao formula, if elected president.  (FREEMAN)