Lonely President

PRESIDENT Rody Duterte, away from the adulation of millions of Filipinos during the campaign, is now feeling lonely as the highest elected official of the land.

Duterte bared this in a speech before League of Cities and Provinces officers on Thursday. This is probably because only one person becomes president.

Acting Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella wasn’t heard complaining of feeling lonely at Cebu City Hall because the vacationing mayor appointed another acting mayor.

*** President Rody was elected by a vote of more than 16 million Filipinos, the biggest number of votes in history for any Philippine presidential candidate.

But Duterte, who served as Davao City mayor for more than 20 years, said he was not used to the life of a president. “I am not used to this kind of life,” he said.

“Do not feel shortchanged. My will to work is there. But if you ask me if I’m happy, I am not. It’s lonely. And even when I am home, it is still work,” Duterte said.

*** President Rody also said he felt uncomfortable being called or addressed as president. It could be because he was used to being called mayor for a long time.

That explains his order to drop the honorific “His Excellency” in addressing him.

But this was unlike the joke about a former president. When he was elected president, a friend asked him, “How will I address you?” “I live in the same address,” was the reply.

Many people covet power because it is the apex of success. It is for this that many politicians try hard to cling to power by all means fair or foul.

But President Rody offered to resign and vacate his post in three to four years if the country adopts the French model of a federal government system.

Why? He said he’s overworked with a salary of only P130,00 a month and would have preferred being a mayor. “I allowed myself to be fooled… I want to punch the one who had duped me into this,” he said.