DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte vehemently denied rumors that several squatters in the city will be demolished.
He accused his political rivals as the ones circulating such rumors to get the support of the masses.
Duterte said he was once a squatter also, thus he will never allow, as much as possible, squatters to be demolished without prior provision of a relocation area.
He said this is the reason his administration is spending millions of pesos to buy relocation areas for squatters ordered to be demolished by the court.
"Ako sa Barrio Semento sa Jacinto-Artiaga mi sa una nagarenta ug balay. Akong mama maninda lang na sa carenderia. Pobre ko sa una, pero mamakak pud ko kung musulti ko na pobre lang gihapon ko hangtud karon. Pero dili gyud nako gusto na mademolish mo," Duterte said.
Another rumor being circulated by his detractors, Duterte said, is the law prohibiting non-aircon taxis and dilapidated taxis from plying.
The mayor revealed his political rivals have been promising taxi operators that they will do something about it so that non-aircon taxis could still be allowed to operate.
"Kamong mga taxi drivers, kamong mga asosasyon wala gyud mo magkaleksyon. Ang balaud, balaud. Maski wala si Duterte, naa gihapon ng balaud. Ayaw pud mo pagpaloko. Kung tinuod na sinsero sila, dugay na dapat nila ni gibuhat. Ilong nganong karon lang man ni, dapat dugay na ni nimo gibuhat. Nganong imo man ming binuangan," Duterte said. (BOT)