MANILA, Philippines - After months of speculation on what could be the real purpose of his listening tours in various provinces of the archipelago, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City finally ended the story. He won’t seek higher office in 2016.
That’s it. Despite the mounting support expressed by his loyalists, Duterte just dismissed the possibility of targeting to claim the highest post in the land. Duterte found the idea not interesting to him as well as citing his old age as the main factors that prompt him to just retire in politics once his term ends as mayor of Davao, the fourth safest city in the world according to Numbeo.com.
This came after rumors of partnering him as a tandem to Vice President Jejomar Binay and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas surfaced just recently.
Prior to his refusal to run for the presidency in 2016, Binay pointed Duterte as his prospective vice presidential running mate noting the latter’s experience in efficient administering of a local government unit. However, the proposition has already been rejected by PDP-Laban President and Senator Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III way before it reached Duterte’s ears saying that such idea of partnering Duterte with Binay who is currently facing various allegations of corruptions is ‘unacceptable’.
On the other hand, Duterte met with Secretary Roxas on May 22, on what could be a possible political alliance between the two although nothing was confirmed after their talk.
Dubbed as the ‘The Punisher’ by a 2002 article of Times Magazine due to his iron-fist rule in his city, Duterte is also a crowd favorite to go all the way to the 2016 polls with cancer-stricken Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago who has been testing the waters for the past months by hinting a second attempt to the presidency.
What is sure now is that Rody Duterte is sure to pass the mayoralty torch again to his daughter, former Davao City Mayor and Atty. Sara Duterte-Carpio. Duterte’s decline to join in the 2016 presidential race will provide an increase chance for other aspiring presidential candidates to amass the votes intended for him. - Michael Santiago, TheSummitExpress
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| Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will not seek the presidency | Credit: www.mindanews.com |
This came after rumors of partnering him as a tandem to Vice President Jejomar Binay and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas surfaced just recently.
Prior to his refusal to run for the presidency in 2016, Binay pointed Duterte as his prospective vice presidential running mate noting the latter’s experience in efficient administering of a local government unit. However, the proposition has already been rejected by PDP-Laban President and Senator Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III way before it reached Duterte’s ears saying that such idea of partnering Duterte with Binay who is currently facing various allegations of corruptions is ‘unacceptable’.
On the other hand, Duterte met with Secretary Roxas on May 22, on what could be a possible political alliance between the two although nothing was confirmed after their talk.
Dubbed as the ‘The Punisher’ by a 2002 article of Times Magazine due to his iron-fist rule in his city, Duterte is also a crowd favorite to go all the way to the 2016 polls with cancer-stricken Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago who has been testing the waters for the past months by hinting a second attempt to the presidency.
What is sure now is that Rody Duterte is sure to pass the mayoralty torch again to his daughter, former Davao City Mayor and Atty. Sara Duterte-Carpio. Duterte’s decline to join in the 2016 presidential race will provide an increase chance for other aspiring presidential candidates to amass the votes intended for him. - Michael Santiago, TheSummitExpress
