Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – Guess who’s open to a potential term in Malacañan now?
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who once threatened to shoot anyone who will prod him to run for President in 2016 and not too long ago announced with firm conviction that he would rather die than become president, said over the weekend that he is now “keeping his options open” on the possibility of joining next year’s presidential derby.
In a statement made over his weekly TV program Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa Sunday (June 21), the feisty mayor said that his latest decision was due to the request of his supporters asking him not to close his doors yet on the presidency until the deadline of the filing of the certificate of candidacy come October.
“I will consider the suggestion of my friends and supporters,” Duterte said.
Duterte has long been turning down the snowballing clamor for him to seek the highest position of the land.
He said in the same TV program in September last year that he would rather die than heed the call of “Duterte for President Movement, ” which spearheaded a signature campaign at that time in an effort to convince him to serve the country as “President Duterte.”
“I’d rather retire. I would rather that I die early than become a president,” said Duterte, adding that he will shoot anyone who urges him to join the 2016 presidential race before it gets out of hand.
Just two weeks ago, the controversial mayor again practically declared with finality that he is not interested in the presidency, which he described as an “unforgiving position.”
According to him, the said post is almost like an assurance that a person will go to prison after his term, referring to former Presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who were jailed due to plunder charges, which is a non-bailable offense in the Philippines.
Duterte’s steady rise in recent presidential surveys, however, could be one of the reasons why he is now keeping his options open. Duterte ranked third and fourth in the latest poll of Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations (SWS), respectively.
CNN Philippines’ stringer Ben Tesiorna contributed to this report.
