Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is slowly gaining grounds in the presidential race despite the lack of financial backings and support from big multinational corporations in the Philippines and in order to stop his campaign surge, the Aquino administration is allegedly preparing multiple cases against the Mayor.
Rumors are currently circulating online about the murder charges being readied by the opponents of Mayor Duterte, there are evidences also that the charges actually surfaced as early as last year when Mayor Duterte turned down overtures by administration presidential candidate Mar Roxas to be his vice presidential running mate.
The rumors of the charges prepared for Mayor Duterte died down when the Davao City Mayor did not file his Certificate of Candidacy for President, but the issued came back to life when Mayor Duterte substituted for PDP-Laban presidentiabl bet Martin Diño.
Due to the rumors of impending cases to be filed against Mayor Duterte, the camp of the presidential candidate issued the following statement:
“We have been alerted that the Aquino government is preparing to file charges against Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte supposedly for his ‘role and involvement’ in extra judicial killings of known criminals and drug pushers in Davao City.
“The charges reportedly stemmed from affidavits executed by a ranking police officer and supposed self-confessed gunmen. We view this development with serious cause for concern.
“We see the desperate hands of administrations bets who are threatened by the surge in the popularity and voter preference for Mayor Duterte whose numbers continue to rise in all surveys.
“Mayor Duterte, running on shoe string budget and with little support from big business interests and political parties, is attacting nationwide support from ordinary folks – workers, peasants, youth and students, women, Moro and indigenous peoples, middle class employees and businessmen – from south to north of the nation as the campaign period enters midway point.
“There is no doubt in our mind that momentum is on our side. This ploy to resurrect the worn out allegations against the Mayor is a vain and desperate attempt to stop that momentum.
“Certainly, they had all the opportunity, time, resources and wherewithal to file those charges when Mayor Duterte was a virtual non-entity in national politics. Moreso when he was not yet a declared presidential candidate.
“But now that he is on the heels of being elected the first president from the south – a Mindanaoan with strong Visayan roots – in more than 50 years, his opponents are training their guns on him to arrest his irreversible march to victory.
“We deplore these dirty tricks.
“We abhor these underhanded tactics.
“We will resist this vain plot to pin him down because of his strong stand against crime and corruption.
“We warn them of the repercussions of such diabolical plan.
“The people will not be swayed by these black propaganda and amateurish schemes.
“We will prevail!”