Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Though it received much interest from his supporters, presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte told his camp to stop the scratch card initiative.
The cards were supposedly a way to collect contributions from supporters with amounts from as small as P25 to as large as P500,000.
Duterte’s camp temporarily suspended the initiative because it first had to comply with the necessary documentary requirements of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for this kind of fund-raising activity.
Duterte’s spokesman, Peter Laviña, said they will do everything they can for it to work.
But during an interview in Davao on Friday (February 12), the mayor said he does not want the scratch card initiative and the camp does not have his permission to continue the activity.
“Di na bale ako matalo ng walang pera, ayoko ng ganun,” said Duterte. “I told them to stop it. Walang permiso sakin yan. I’m saying it publicly, stop it.”
He added, “It’s because it is subject to manipulation. I do not want that. And if I do not have money and I lose, then so be it.”
Related: Duterte camp suspends scratch card initiative
PDP-Laban no senate slate yet
Duterte also told reporters that his tandem with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano doesn’t have a senatorial slate yet under the party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP-Laban).
He said Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, PDP-Laban’s president, is still trying to come up with an official list of people they will endorse.
“This is not my party alone. It must be a party decision,” Duterte said. “We promise to come up with a slate, or at least Koko Pimentel said so that we can come up with a slate.”
Asked if there’s anyone in particular he wants included in the senate lineup, Duterte suggested one name — former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino.
“Ako personally baka may mga mai-suggest akong mga pangalan,” he said. “Si (Francis) Tolentino, he’s a very decent man. Kilala ko yan.”
Davao-based journalist Ben O. Tesiorna contributed to this report.
