AN OPEN LETTER TO MY FRIEND MAYOR RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

Dear Pareng Rody,

Your daughter, Sara, was right when she said that you don’t owe anybody anything.

The truth is the people of Davao and even those living elsewhere in Mindanao and in the disaster stricken areas of Leyte and Bohol owe you a lot.

The truth is I owe you a lot of favors, from the bombing victims and the sick of my province whom you have helped, and the deep friendship you have shown me during the lowest moments of my life.

I have always admired you as a friend, that is the reason why you were the only baptismal Godfather of my son, Imman, and I was extremely proud that you again stood as Godfather to my daughter, Krista, in her wedding.

I even feel that should I have another baptism in life, I would get you as my Ninong, as well.

I admire you as a leader. You are unconventional and maverick and I am endlessly amazed at your deftness in wiggling out of the most complicated situations.

You are an extra-ordinarily inclusive leader who could sit down and talk with all groups.

I had my problems with the New People’s Army because I refused to pay the Permit to Campaign fee and the MILF hated me for standing up against the flawed MOA-AD.

I really believe you would be a unifying President and a leader who could and would bring change to the Philippines.

This is the reason why when I, along with some other friends, asked you to consider the Presidency, I told you I would quit politics to help in the campaign.

In the last time I had a heart to heart talk with you, I told you that I was torn between my desire to lead a quiet life as a farmer and my dream to see you become President.

I remember telling you that if I thought you had no chance of winning the Presidency, I would be the first to tell you not to run.

“I would expect that from a friend,” I remember you telling me.

Yesterday, when your loyal political adviser Mayor Jun Evasco confirmed to me that you had indeed filed your COC for mayor of Davao City, I felt like Manny Pacquiao punched me in the solar plexus.

We were all dazed but Jun Evasco and Butch Ramirez asked us, a group of about 10 loyal friends, to sit down and meet to analyse the implications and repercussions of your decision to reject the call of the people for you to run for President.

By the way, before the meeting, I sat down with the group who was supposed to help me in the media campaign had you agreed to run for the Presidency and they showed me the social media tracking chart which showed that you were the hottest item with 89% from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Mar Roxas, in spite of the filing of his COC yesterday, was only at 39% while both Jejomar Binay and Grace Poe have gone flat.

This validates the survey figures which say that you enjoy a 71% trust rating in Metro Manila.

One thing is certain, the Filipino people genuinely would like to see change and they see you, an out of the box and maverick politician, as their hope.

As a friend, I will respect your decision not to run for President and that is the same sentiment of your loyal friends yesterday during the meeting.

But as a friend, I have to live up to your expectation that I would tell you the truth.

Here are the results of the analytical assessment that we had yesterday.

1. Your decision to reject that Presidency is wrong and it will have serious repercussions on your political career and the career of your children. By refusing to heed a national call for a Duterte to lead this country, any Duterte who would aspire for a national post in the future would most likely be rejected.

2. The admiration, to some extent adulation, of people for you would slowly turn to hatred and anger. This early, I am already seeing signs of it with the comments of people in the social media calling you “coward.” People feel rejected and you should understand that.

3. Your detractors would exploit the anger of the people by spreading rumours on the assumed reasons behind your decision not to run. Already, when we talked last night, reports came in from the Bicol Region saying that people are starting to believe you were paid off by the administration just to stop you from running for President. I know you and I know this is hogwash but some people may believe it unless you could come up with a more rational explanation other than just say that you’re running for Mayor because your daughter refused to take over the city.

4. Whoever thought of the idea of asking Bong Go to wear the T-shirt he wore yesterday when he filed your COC was totally unaware of the hurt that message brought to people who sincerely believed in you and prayed that you would run for President. I know the idea did not come from you because you are a very emotional person who does not even want offend friends by telling them that they have wronged you. Whoever did that should issue an apology.

5. Your decision not to run for President will not only deprive you of your rightful place in the history of this country because we sincerely believe you could bring change but it would bring about a feeling of national frustration and of hopelessness. A friend of mine who is very apolitical said she wants to migrate to America. You cannot let this people down.

These are the initial results of the assessment we made yesterday.

Today, we will meet again, this time with the volunteers for the Duterte for President Movement and this will be hosted by Benny Gopez.

Butch Ramirez invited them for dinner and gathering and prayers to bring closure to the nine month dream of seeing you become President.

They deserve to be recognised and thanked for their efforts, the same with the millions of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), some of whom travelled far just to register in their respective embassies hoping you would run and the millions of ordinary Filipinos who dreamed of a President who could protect them and give their children a safer community and a better future.

To end this letter, I fervently ask you to ponder on these things I shared with you which are products of the assessment of your true and loyal friends who stayed even when you said “it’s all over.”

Think things over my friend. Remember what Justice Jose Abad Santos told his son when he was made to choose between collaborating with the enemy or dying for his country: “Not everybody is given the opportunity to die for his country.”

Not everybody is blessed with the mass support that you are enjoying now from ordinary Filipinos who would you to lead them.

Other politicians would sell their souls just to get half the number of the people who are asking you to run for President.

You still have until late this afternoon.

Believe me, people wouldn’t care if you change your mind.

Sincerely,

Pareng Manny

P.S. I am posting here a composition by Jimmy Bondoc and sang by his group. Listen to this song and understand the message. I know you will cry.

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