DAVAO City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte expressed his dissatisfaction with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration during his speech on Sunday, January 28, 2024 as he called on the president to resign.
"Mr. President, kung wala kay gugma ug wala kay aspiration sa nasud, resign (Mr. President, if you do not have love or aspiration for the country, resign),” Duterte said during the ‘Hakbang ng Maisug-Leaders Forum for Transparency, Accountability, Peace, and Security, at the Grand Men Seng Hotel, Magallanes, Davao City.
The mayor also criticized the administration for prioritizing politics over the well-being of the people and accused them of befriending enemies of the previous administration, citing the resumption of peace talks with insurgents as an example.
He then reflected on the sacrifices made by security personnel, guerrillas, and indigenous people recruited into the New People's Army (NPA). Addressing the audience, he questioned, "It is easy for you, but what about those people who are suffering?"
He emphasized that if the president prioritizes his self-interest over the country, the People's Initiative for Charter Change will inevitably take place.
Duterte said, "All these things that he is causing are oppressing the people. Mao man gyud kay giuna niya iyang politika. Ilang self-preservation sa ilang politika. Wala nila giuna ang trabaho (It's because they put politics first, their self-preservation in politics. They did not put their work first)."
The mayor recalled that during his father's administration, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, there was a decisive campaign against drugs and criminality.
He anticipated a resurgence of these issues when his father's term concluded, expressing disappointment that the current administration couldn't match the successes of the previous one.
Duterte pointed out that in less than a year, police officers in uniform were visible in the Senate, raising concerns about their involvement in drugs.
He further added that the presence of people at the leader’s forum indicated dissatisfaction, as content individuals would not feel the need to voice their concerns.
He also raised concerns about the government jeopardizing Filipinos by allowing foreigners into the country, citing instances such as the International Criminal Court probe and the tagging of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte with the Davao Death Squad.
Duterte highlighted that the actions of the Marcos administration mirrored the exact template used by Ferdinand Marcos Sr. to remain in power for approximately 20 years.
Following his speech, the mayor even made a lighthearted remark, jokingly suggesting that he might fly all the way to Indonesia for political asylum. RGP
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