DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 03 Nov) — Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte has ordered the removal of campaign materials in the city that urge him to run for President in 2016.
Duterte told reporters over the weekend that similar materials were sprouting everywhere and that there were groups who did not believe that he did not have anything to do with the campaign.
“Maybe kayong mga taga-Davao, you will believe me,” Duterte said. “But in other places with people who don’t know my character, they might really think it’s me.”
Duterte reiterated four reasons not wanting to run for president.
“I don’t like it. I don’t want to be a hypocrite na kunwari gusto kunwari ayaw. What is really bad is that I allowed these things to happen.
I was nonchalant, ‘hayaan na lang.’
Which is not really the case… Wala akong ambition maging presidente,” he said.
Duterte added that he was not interested and that he did not have funds to run a campaign.
“At my age, I do not have the energy to function as president,” the 69-year old mayor said.
The popular mayor, who is being urged to run for President by various sectors, including businessmen from Metro Manila and other regions, appealed to the public to “tone down” the support.
He said he was planning to retire after this term and endorsed his daughter, Sara Z. Duterte to run again and continue his plans for the city.
Sara was mayor from 2010 to 2013 with her father as vice mayor and was vice mayor from 2007 to 2010 with her father as mayor.
Duterte was a prosecutor before he was appointed OIC Vice Mayor following the People Power revolt in 1986. He was elected mayor from 1988 to 1998, 2001 to 2010, and from 2013.
Duterte serve das 1st district Representative from 1998 to 2001 and Vice Mayor from 2010 to 2013.
Several city councilors and barangay captains have publicly announced their support for Mayor Duterte as President.
Members of the Duterte for President movement, meanwhile, returned to the city after a caravan held in October and claimed to have collected at least 11 million signatures nationwide. (MindaNews)
