The 16th President of the Philippines said that he is willing to leave his presidency if people wants him to and if he were to choose, he would not commit the same mistake.
After holding the presidency for almost half a year, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said anew that he still views his decision to be elected as the president of the Republic of the Philippines as a mistake.
President Duterte made his pronouncements during the awarding of the 2016 The Outstanding Young Men and Women (TOYM) on December 12, Monday, held at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañang Palace.
He also said that if the Filipino people do not like him anymore, he is willing to leave his post.
“Kung ayaw na talaga ninyo (If you really do not like how I lead the country), I am ready to step down. I do not have a problem with that. I have no illusions about power or about the presidency”, said President Duterte.
Duterte added that in a chance conversation between him and business tycoon Manny Pangilinan, who asked him how he was doing, he responded that if he was to go back in time, he would have not have committed the same mistake.
The billionaire was seated behind the President during the awarding ceremony.
Pangilinan, the chairman of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, attended the event as the chairman of the TOYM Foundation.
President Duterte previously lamented that his salary of P130 thousand a month is too small to support his two families. He also complained about being alone and lonely and deprived of his privacy since he assumed presidency.
The TOYM awardees for 2016 are Earl Martin Valencia for entrepreneurship, Carmela Andal Castro for Law, Saturnino Tiamson for arts in music, Jhett Tolentino for arts in theater, Ronivin Pagtakhan for youth leadership, Geraldine Racaza for the field of medicine, Ryan Guinaran for advocating the welfare of the indigenous people, Richard Muallil for the conservation of marine science, Randy Halasan for education, Clarissa Isabelle Delgado for community service and Richard Javad Heydarian for social science.
The awardees were urged by Pangilinan to stay driven and inspired as they continue to better the lives of their fellow Filipinos.