DUTERTE, A MINDANAWNON, FOR PRESIDENT OF THIS REPUBLIC. PLEDGES OF SUPPORT POUR IN FOR THE UNWILLING PRESIDENT By Manny Pinol Even before he could make up his mind amid the growing calls for him to run for President, colorful and controversial Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte is swamped with commitment of support from ordinary people, overseas workers, and key political leaders of the country. The Bicol Today newspaper, a local publication in the Bicol region, reported that outstanding Albay Governor Joey Salceda has made a public statement that he will endorse Duterte for the Presidenncy in 2016. Dapat mag-President sya. I will nominate him to be President for 2016, the Bicol Today quoted Salceda as saying. There is no way I could verify and validate the statement issued by Gov. Salceda because I do not have his contact numbers but since the statement was published by a Bicol newspaper, I will have to assume that it really came from the outstanding Albay governor. Two days ago, Palawan Governor Jose Pepito Alvarez, a successful businessman before he joined politics, declared that if Duterte decides to accept the challenge, he will support the Davao City Mayor. Alvarez, who owns the Kia Motors dealership in the Philippines which recently fielded the Kia Sorrento team in the PBA coached by boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, is married to a Roa from Cagayan de Oro City. Dutertes late mother, Nanay Soling, was a Roa and related to the Roas of Cagayan de Oro City thus the mayors complete name is Rodrigo Roa Duterte or simply RRD. Three-term Saranggani Gov. Miguel Dominguez, whose father, Paul was Presidential Assistant for Mindanao and whose uncle Sonny, a former agriculture secretary, was Dutertes high school classmate, had earlier declared that he will drop everything that he is doing to campaign for Duterte if the Davao City Mayor decides to run. And for whatever is the worth of my support, I have also pledged that I will focus on pushing and convincing Duterte to accept the challenge of the people for him to run for President. Former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos earlier publicly endorsed the Davao City mayor by saying that Now is the time for a President to come from Mindanao. But more than the endorsements of political leaders, I believe that what touches Duterte the most are the pleadings of the ordinary people, especially the Overseas Workers, for the City Mayor, who is known to be incorruptible and tough on criminals, to help them save the country for their children. Although Duterte has so far remained non-committal, he has appeared to soften on his position to absolutely refuse the idea of the Presidency, even threatening in jest to shoot those behind the move.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 04:27:04 +0000
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