By Manny Pinol
Yesterday, in what was considered by many as a shocking and demoralizing development, Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte said in an interview that not only will he reject the Presidential endorsement by millions, he may yet decide to retire from politics altogether.
Duterte issued the statement following his meeting with Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim Henares who visited Davao City yesterday.
Henares, who is known as a “tough as a nail” Chief Taxman of the Philippines expressed sadness over the announcement saying that Duterte’s style of leadership has proven to be effective in local governance.
Henares also expressed admiration for the City Mayor who has built a reputation of a no-nonsense local executive who enforces the law without fear or favor.
Will the colorful City Mayor, who has kept himself untainted by issues of corruption and made his city the 4th Safest City in the World, really retire from public service?
No and not if I can help it. No and never if everybody who believes in him continue to make him understand and realize that the country has nobody to turn to right now who could assure the Filipinos of clean governance and safe communities.
Late last night, following the “retirement” statement which he made earlier, I sought out Mayor Duterte and engaged him in a heart to heart talk which started at about 12 midnight and ended at 3 a.m.
During the long conversation (over cups of coffee for me and bottles of water for him), I showed the City Mayor the heartfelt appeals of people who have been posting messages for him in this page.
He laughed when I told him that one ordinary worker who follows this page has pledged his one month salary to help support a Duterte Presidential campaign.
He was obviously touched when I showed him the messages of ordinary Filipinos who said that they are willing to kneel in front of him just so he would accept the call to be President of the country.
Duterte, in explaining his desire to get out of politics, gave me the same reasons he gave in the past.
“I don’t dream of becoming President; I am old and I want to take a rest; I don’t have any money to wage a nation-wide campaign” were among those he mentioned.
Refuting his statements I told him: “Nobody dreams to be President, it is destiny; You are not that old at 69 because Vice President Binay is older at 72 which means that if Binay wins the Presidency, he will be 80 years old by the end of his term; Money is very important in a national campaign but given the popular support you are getting, it will be a secondary concern.”
Shortly before we parted ways at about 3 a.m., I reminded Mayor Duterte of the story of World War II Philippine Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos who, along with his son, was captured by Japanese forces in Barili, Cebu on April 11, 1942.
Justice Abad Santos, then acting President of the Philippines in the absence of President Manuel Luis Quezon, was asked by his captors to collaborate with the Japanese who occupied the country but he refused.
Before he was executed by his captors in Malabang, Lanao del Sur, Justice Abad Santos told his son Pepito: “Do not cry, Pepito, show to these people that you are brave. It is an honor to die for one’s country. Not everybody has that chance.”
The story obviously pierced his heart because I saw him take a deep breath.
Duterte is a patriot who loves his people and will come to the defense of the oppressed.
I honestly believe he will not turn his back on a nation suffering from unabated corruption in government service and rising criminality.
(Photo caption: Mayor Duterte reads messages from ordinary people during our meeting last night.)
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