Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte arrives to a cheering crowd for his campaign sortie in Tondo, Manila on Tuesday. Duterte kicked off his 90-day campaign addressing Tondo residents, mostly migrants from Visayas and Mindanao, with a promise of decentralizing development in the country.(MNS photo)
DAVAO CITY (Mabuhay) – Presumptive president Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is ready to be a statesman, contrary to public expectations.
His common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña said Duterte’s tough-talking image is just something he donned for the vicious campaign period.
“The character that he projected during the campaign was the character very appropriate for the campaign period kasi awayan iyan eh. Presidency, are you still going to don such character when you should act like a statesman?” she said early Tuesday morning.
Describing the campaign as a battle between lions and tigers, Avanceña said Duterte needed to put on his tough hat to survive.
“Pero ano siya, he respects the position. Presidente na siya ng Republika ng Pilipinas. Lawyer siya eh. Alam niya iyong pinasok niya. Alam niya iyong panghahawakan niyang position,” she said.
During a program aired on Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s broadcasting arm Sonshine Media on Monday night up to early Tuesday, Duterte also said that he will behave well if he begins to serve as President of the Philippines.
Although Duterte was leading by a large margin when the interview was conducted, Avanceña remained unassuming, saying that nothing is final yet until Duterte is proclaimed president.
When that time comes, she said Duterte will even need more prayers to perform his job.
“We will continue to pray kasi umpisa pa lang ng hard work niya eh. Iyong campaign was not really the hard work. Iyong hard work niya is iyong pag-upo niya. The hard part is iyong pag-upo niya. Doon magtatrabaho siya,” she added.
Avanceña also revealed that she tried to convince Duterte not to run for president, often enumerating the setbacks if he will hold office in Malacañang.
“Ayokong i-fire up ang desire niya. I am always on the negative. Weeks before siya nag-ano, away kami nang away kasi I always tell him about the negative side. ‘You know what, if you run for president, babatikusin ka. You cannot sleep in your house, in your bed. Doon ka sa Malacañang. Then they have to wake you up early,’” she recalled.
A confessed spiritual person, Avanceña said she submitted herself to God and prayed.
“And I even asked for signs. I don’t want to tell you about the signs. Basta he just showed me. Minsan nasha-shock na lang ako, may sign,” the former nurse based in the United States said. (MNS)