‘Criminality has to go’
Duterte vows after filing COC for president
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte yesterday promised a law-abiding, God-fearing, comfortable community should he be elected president in the 2016 national elections. “Criminality has to go,” the mayor emphatically declared, drawing applause from the audience packed inside the 2,500-capacity gym in Sarangani.
“Hardliner ko, cruel ko sa criminal (I’m a hardliner, I’m cruel with criminals),” he warned as he recalled how he had dealt with lawless elements, including drug lords, in the past.
Despite threats of charges for human rights violations, Duterte is unperturbed.
“Di man ko mahadlok ug (I’m not afraid of) human rights,” he said, adding that it’s time to instill fear in the
law.
He issued the statement in Sarangani shortly after he filed, through his lawyer, his certificate of candidacy for president before noon yesterday.
“Ug akoy ma-presidente (If I become president), corruption has to stop,” Duterte added.
“Once upon a time, I was one of only a few Tanodbayan investigators in Mindanao,” he recalled.
Before the filing of COC for president, Duterte officially withdrew his COC for mayor of Davao City at 11:40 a.m.
Minutes after lawyer Salvador Medaldea filed Duterte’s COC at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) head office, his daughter, former Davao City mayor Sara Duterte, filed her COC for mayor to substitute her father.
Duterte will be running for president under the PDP-Laban as substitute for Martin Diño who had earlier withdrawn his COC after the Comelec filed a motu proprio petition to declare him a nuisance candidate.
Controversy surrounded Diño’s COC when he indicated that he was running for mayor of Pasay City instead of president.
En banc ruling awaited While Duterte has already filed his COC to enable him to substitute Diño, he still has to wait for the decision of the Comelec en banc whether all the requirements for substitution have already been satisfied.
Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim said receiving the COC is ministerial on the part of the poll body.
“Receiving of COC is a ministerial function. We just received the COC but the en banc has to rule on substitution,” Lim said in an interview.
“We have to look at whether the requirements for substitution have been met,” added Lim.
Based on Section 19 of Comelec Resolution No. 9984, an official candidate of a duly registered political party or coalition who dies, withdraws, or is disqualified for any cause after the last day of the filing of COCs may be substituted by a candidate belonging to, and nominated by, the same political party or coalition.
No substitution due to withdrawal shall be allowed by the Comelec after December 10, 2015.
Running because of SET Duterte had earlier said he finally made up his mind about running after the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) voted 5-4 in favor of junking the disqualification case against Poe, saying he cannot allow an American president to become the next leader.
Defeated senatorial candidate Rizalito David filed the petition to disqualify Poe. He questioned the senator’s being a natural-born Filipino when she ran for senator in 2013 since she is a foundling.
Poe welcomed the entry of Duterte, one of her perceived strongest rivals in May, 2016, in the presidential race as this will broaden the public’s choice.
“First and foremost, I am happy for those who are supporting him because finally there is certainty that the mayor is running,” Poe told reporters in a press conference in Lipa City where she and the Team Galing at Puso made the rounds in campuses.
Nevertheless, Poe said she is unfazed in her pursuit to seek the presidency even with the inclusion of the tough-talking mayor in the presidential race.
In a media conference at the Task Force Davao headquarters at the Sta. Ana Wharf, where he is to take a chopper to Sarangani, Duterte said: “I have already withdrawn my COC for mayor and I will continue as planned my candidacy for the presidency, adding that ‘tuloy na tuloy na ang laban’.”
During the media conference, Duterte revealed that some businessmen – including Lucio Tan, Gabby Lopez, Manny Villar, a certain Mr. Razon, and Lucio Co – had earlier offered to help him, but he declined all their offer to keep his earlier pronouncement that his presidency will not be anchored on “utang na loob (debt of gratitude).”
Sarangani schedule
The feisty mayor is scheduled to grace the Sarangani celebrations and will talk on Munato Music and Arts Festival.
It was not known if he will meet Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, who is running for senator under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). Pacquiao had earlier said he is sticking with UNA under presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar C. Binay although Duterte is his friend. (With a report from Hannah L. Torregoza)