One of the country’s most popular candidate especially on social media, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City, revealed to the media the main reasons why he won’t participate in the Presidential Debate to be sponsored by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
According to the tough-talking Mayor of Davao City and PDP-Laban’s standard-bearer, he would only join the Comelec-sponsored debates if the poll body will resolve his pending disqualification cases.
The 70-year-old Mayor of Davao City was quoted as saying “Bakit ako pupunta dun? Tanungin ko nga ang Comelec? Am I or am I not a candidate? Bakit ba ako pasalitain doon e ang kaso ko andiyan? Ang certificate of candidacy ko, nakadikit pa dyan sa table nyo. I want to see the resolution. Isang tao lang ang nagsasabi nyan eh that is a collegial body. What happens kung pasalitain mo ako doon tapos kinabukasan may balita na DQ (disqualified) ako. Magmumukhang gago ako,” he said.
Mayor Duterte added further that “You place me in the right status. I am not a candidate. If I am not qualified, e di sorry,” he added.
The first Presidential Debates sponsored by COMELEC will be held at the Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City on February 21, 2016.
The Comelec’s First Division has not yet decided on the four disqualification cases filed against Duterte. According to the petitioner’s claim, Martin Diño’s COC was defective therefore Duterte could not be considered a legitimate substitute.
