From a trash-talking candidate, former Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to be “prim and proper” once he assumes the presidency.“I need to control my mouth. I cannot be bastos because I am representing our country,” he told newsmen in Davao City.
“If you are the president of the country, you need to be prim and proper, almost, maging holy na ako (I would become holy),” Duterte also said during a late-night program with religious sect leader Apollo Quiboloy
Duterte’s common-law wife Cielito Avanceña said he is ready to be a statesman. ”The character that he projected during the campaign was the character that is very appropriate for the campaign period kasi awayan ‘yan eh (because it’s full of arguments). Presidency, are you still going to don such character when you should act like a statesman?” Avanceña said on the sidelines.
She said the 90-day official campaign period was a battle between lions and tigers.
“He respects the position. Presidente na siya ng Republika ng Pilipinas. Lawyer siya eh. Alam niya iyong pinasok niya. Alam niya iyong panghahawakan niyang position,” she said.
Avanceña said the real work was not during the campaign period but once Duterte assumed the presidency.
As to his agenda once he takes over from President Benigno S. Aquino III, the first priority would be taking over the government.
The Duterte group has named transition committee members: campaign manager Leoncio Jun Evasco; assistant campaign manager and executive assistant Christopher Bong Go; Carlos G. Dominguez, former cabinet member and head of campaign’s Finance Committee; lawyers Salvador Medialdea and Loreto Ata, and spokesman Tony Lavina. They will soon meet with the Aquino government’s transition team to be headed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr.
Lavina said revising the Constitution would be a priority with the view of shifting the form of government from presidential-unitary to parliamentary and federal system. He said Duterte would submit the issue—which devolves power from national government—to a national consensus.
Duterte would also resume negotiations for peace with rebel groups.
Duterte reiterated his vow to go after drug syndicates and other criminals and warned corrupt law enforcers to either retire or die.
He said he would seek multilateral talks to resolve territorial disputes with China over islands in the West Philippine Sea.
Earlier, Duterte showed his displeasure over the outgoing government’s move to raise the territorial dispute with China to international arbitration.
