President Benigno S. Aquino III is received by Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr., upon arrival for the Opening Ceremony of the 2013 Philippine M.I.C.E. Conference (MICECON 2013) at the 3rd Floor, SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premiere in Davao City on Thursday (March 07, 2013). The MICE Conference is a prestigious gathering of key players in the travel and tourism industry. The conference will provide the Host an opportunity to showcase its destinations to approximately 400 stakeholders in the tourism industry comprised of: travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers, resort owners, professional congress/ exhibition/event organizers, association/corporate executives, destination management companies, airline representatives, local government officials, academe, students and the media. (MNS photo).
DAVAO (Mabuhay) – For the first time, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said he is considering running for president in 2016 after being fed up with the criticisms being thrown at him.
“This is the first time that I have mentioned the possibility of being the president,” Duterte said in an interview.
“Then let me also have a taste of how you can handle people when you are in power not to harass but legally,” he added.
Duterte warned Justice Secretary Leila De Lima and former Commission on Human Rights chairwoman Etta Rosales that he will not stop exposing the controversies leveled at them.
He also said he is praying for “enlightenment”and that he might run for higher office if enough people like De Lima and Rosales actually campaign against him.
“I’ve always said that God will somehow enlighten me. I’ve been asking, I’ve been praying: ‘God, I do not like it. I do not need it. Pag ginusto mo, you give me a cause to do it.’ Pero ito ngayon, well I am thinking about it, really. Pinag-iisipan ko na, na kung may sampung, o 100 people like De Lima campaigning for me, and Etta Rosales, (expletive) mananalo ako niyan. Mananalo ako! Etta Rosales and De Lima will provide the edge,” he said.
The tough-talking mayor has been consistent about his position not to run for any national post in the 2016 national elections.
This week, Duterte landed in the headlines after admitting links with the “Davao Death Squad”, the group allegedly responsible for summary executions of criminals in his city.
The mayor later retracted his admission and said he was referring to the Davao Development System.
Human Rights Watch earlier denounced the more than 1,000 killings committed by the Davao Death Squad since the late 1990s. Police and local government officials were reported to be involved in the targeted killings of alleged drug dealers and petty criminals, street children and others.
De Lima said Duterte must be held criminally liable for admitting his links with the notorious vigilante group. “Killing is killing, no matter what; and therefore, if ina-admit niya na he is responsible for these killings, then he should be held criminally liable,” she said.
Meanwhile, former CHR chairperson Etta Rosales criticized Duterte’s statements and warned the public against voting for Duterte in 2016.
“If the guy believes what he says, he’s gonna bring us back to martial law days, do we want that?” she asked.
She added: “Mayor Duterte do you not believe in the Edsa revolution? In democracy and justice? You answer me that. If you do not believe, and you intend to do with your extra-judicial killings, then I think we should campaign against you.”
In the interview, Duterte criticized De Lima for failing to monitor illegal activities inside the New Bilibid Prison such as the entry of illegal drugs, prostitutes and even luxury items for prisoners.
“There has to be a wrong there. A crime. Criminal neglect. Sino yan? Eh di siya. You accused me of extrajudicial killing. You made Hilton Hotel
diyan sa Muntinlupa. Babae, matanda, bata anytime makapasok. Ang droga ginagawa diyan sa loob. May restaurant, may recording, may nightclub. Saan ka makakita ng prisuhan na ganoon? And who will answer for these things? Somebody has to answer for the time na it was flourishing…Wala kang ginawa. It’s criminal neglect,” Duterte said.
The mayor also criticized the justice secretary for stopping former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from leaving the country even without a hold-departure order.
“May I remind you also, hindi ako masyado close ni Presidente. Not that close actually. Hindi ako tao ni Arroyo. But after the inauguration ni Presidente Aquino, when they were trying to leave the country, inaresto mo si presidente pati si Mike Arroyo without a warrant of arrest, walang search warrant, walang hold departure order. Of course you filed a case subsequently, but that will not erase the crime you committed at that time because there was no document to justify,” he said.
The mayor also accused Rosales of taking cash advances and even linked her to alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.
“Itong Etta the last time I heard you talking about EDSA spirit, (expletive). You explain to the public, to the Filipino people, why you make cash advances. How many projects were given to you that were implemented by [Janet Lim] Napoles, kasi nandoon yung pangalan mo sa listahan niya, cash advances. Hindi ka na nahiya niyan?” he said.
Duterte said he is still waiting for other critics to appear and asked the people to wait for his decision.
“Makakita lang ako ng isang libo na pareho ng utak ni De Lima, na magkampanya laban sa akin, panalo na ako. Then I will file my certificate of candidacy. Then I will announce it now,” Duterte added.
“Sige, let us begin the fight! Go ahead,” he added. (MNS)