President Duterte keen on retiring, wants daughter not to seek presidency
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said on Tuesday, June 8, that he wants to retire after his term as president, adding he has no plans to run for any position in the 2022 national elections.
This
is despite calls for the Duterte-Duterte tandem in which he will run as vice
president to his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“Mahirap
yan Pastor kasi mag-retire na ako and this time, ako ang mamili ng presidente,
tapos ‘pag manalo sabihin nila, ano lang yan, perpetuate yourself in power. So
nagre-resist ako,” President Duterte said in an interview with Pastor Apollo Quiboloy
aired in SMNI channel.
Pressed
by Quiboloy on the need for the President to serve as vice president to ensure
continuity of his programs, the chief executive insisted he prefers to return
home in Davao City and retire.
“I’m
ready for retirement,” the President said.
Quiboloy
tried to persuade the President to reconsider his decision, claiming that
though the vice president’s role was not as demanding or taxing as the president’s,
it would still allow President Duterte to serve as a “beacon and guide for
Filipinos".
Considering
what he has achieved during his term, the spiritual leader said the nation
still needs President Duterte.
When
asked who he thinks may continue his legacy, the President admitted that he had
someone in mind but he preferred to stay “neutral” for now, promising to
eventually name his preferred choices in due time.
The
President also said he wants his daughter not to seek the presidency in the 2022
elections.
“Si
Inday kinausap ko talaga kagabi. Do not run, do not ever commit the mistake of
running for the presidency,” he said.
“I
don’t mean to insult the Filipino people. Presidente? Wala ka talagang makuha.
Wala para sa iyo, except for one thing, yung sense of fulfilment mo sa kapwa
tao mo, na may nagawa ka, aside from that, it’s an empty,” he added.
Pondering
on his legacy as president, President Duterte said his “greatest achievement”
was having exposed the oligarchy in the country.
“But if you ask me, what is my greatest achievement in a very humble [way], ako Pastor, I exposed the oligarchy in the Philippines,” he said. PND
