DAVAO CITY , Philippines – Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to stop saying he will not be seeking the presidency in 2016 and will keep an open mind before the filing of the certificates of candidacy in October.
The Davao city mayor, known for his high-handed style of governance, said he is considering the overwhelming support shown by friends, individuals and groups who are egging him to give the presidency a run. He added that he is weighing his options given the country’s serious problems.
People have been waiting for Duterte to finally come out and categorically declare that he is running for president in the May 2016 polls. In previous engagements, he repeatedly said he will not run because of old age, poor health and lack of funds.
“I will consider the suggestion of my friends and supporters,” he said over the weekend, adding that the presidency is a destiny which only God could bestow.
Duterte has also been monitoring the results of surveys on who will succeed President Aquino. The Pulse Asia poll showed him in third place, behind Sen. Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay, with 15 percent, an increase of 3 percentage points from the March survey.
In the Social Weather Stations survey, which used the “pick three” method in ranking presidential aspirants for 2016, Duterte jumped from 15 percent to 20 percent.
Duterte’s friends and supporters believe that his ratings could have been higher had he not categorically stated that he was not interested in the presidency.
“The reluctance of people to openly express support for Mayor Duterte is due to the fact that he has repeatedly declared he is not running. In fact, the question we always hear is: Is he really running?” said former transportation secretary Pantaleon Alvarez, one of Duterte’s ardent supporters.
Even political leaders are left hanging and remain in a quandary on how to handle the Duterte factor, since he is very strong among the grassroots in Mindanao, the Visayas, Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog areas.
Contrary to surveys showing that Duterte only holds 37 percent of Mindanao, local political leaders believe that he will garner 75 to 80 percent of the southern islands’ votes, estimated at about 13 million.
“Any Mindanao political leader who will campaign against Duterte in his area will face a revolt and upheaval from his own people because they see Duterte as their hope of getting the attention of the national government for the first time,” said outspoken Duterte supporter Gov. Jose Zubiri of Bukidnon.
The prospect of having a president from Mindanao has also forced southern political leaders to set aside their political differences and forge unlikely alliances just to support Duterte.
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