PDP-Laban picks Duterte

MANILA, Philippines - Ready or not, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has been designated standard bearer of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), after his party’s perceived stand-in was declared a nuisance by the poll body. 

Martin Diño, the presidential candidate, yesterday quit the race for May 2016 to give way to the reluctant Duterte.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) filed, on its own, a disqualification case against Diño after relegating him to the “nuisance, poor and not capable of mounting a national campaign” category.

“I was deeply hurt. It was an insult against my person and my party,” the anti-crime crusader told The STAR in a telephone interview.

But in Davao City, it is still a big no for the controversial mayor.

“Nothing has changed. It is still the same and he has not changed his mind about running for president,” said Christopher “Bong” Go, Duterte’s executive assistant.

Duterte did not show up yesterday for the opening of a basketball tournament between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police at the Almendras Gym.

Duterte’s legal counsel and city administrator Melchor Quitain said the decision of the PDP-Laban was the party’s alone.

A PDP-Laban source said a second resolution was submitted yesterday to the Comelec designating Duterte as replacement.

The source added that Duterte has the whole of November to respond to the resolution. As a policy, the Comelec allows substitution until Dec. 10.

“The Comelec was already informed (of the replacement). Expect the unexpected,” the source said.

Senate Majority Leader and Nacionalista Party vice presidential bet Alan Peter Cayetano yesterday expressed his full support to Duterte, saying only the mayor has the capability to deliver on his promises.

“All the candidates said they will increase the number of projects (to spread development to the countryside) but only Duterte offers real and concrete change,” he said in Filipino.

Cayetano said the reason the mayor’s call for federalism resonated with Filipinos is “because people are not clamoring for government platforms but for someone who can actually deliver.”

Duterte begged off from running for president, a stance he declared on many occasions, saying he was not interested. His close aide also filed a Certificate of Candidacy for city mayor on his behalf.

Diño, also the president and chairman of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, said he is saddened by the turn of events, criticizing the Comelec for being a prosecutor, judge and executioner all at the same time, adding that he could not understand its disdain for PDP-Laban, the party of the late President Corazon Aquino and former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., principal author of the Local Government Code.

“The Comelec without waiting for a complainant motu proprio (on its own) filed the complaint questioning the credibility of my person and the party,” Diño said.

Diño pointed out that he was preparing for his campaign when he learned of the complaint and that he consulted party leaders on his decision to quit the race.

“I don’t think of myself as a spare tire. The people can tell if I am a spare tire… I submitted myself to the decision of the party,” he added.

In a statement, Cayetano said federalism could be the way to attain inclusive growth in the country by granting other regions more access to government resources and funds.

 During his visit to Davao City last weekend, he stressed the need to effect real change in people’s lives by resorting to bold solutions that will address the country’s long-enduring problems.

One of the biggest problems the country faces, he claimed, is the fact that most government funds are concentrated in Metro Manila, thus leaving the regions behind.

“Mayor Duterte has a solution – it’s federalism,” Cayetano said. With Sheila Crisostomo, Mike Frialde, Edith Regalado