DAVAO CITY – Presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte Wednesday said he would just ignore his critics and focus on performing his role as “working president.”
Duterte, who got close to 16 million votes in the presidential race, said criticism, whether positive or negative, is just part of governance.
“I really do not care who hates me,” the leading presidential candidate told GMA News in an interview aired Wednesday night.
“I have been in politics for 23 years, I’ve learned to accept garbage and divine light from others. For me, I would just like to be a working president,” he added.
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Duterte, who was known for his tough talk and iron fist rule as mayor of this city, said he was rarely portrayed positively in the media. He, however, believes that the voters approved of his unconventional way of packaging himself.
“I’ve been in the government in the past 22 years. When did I look like an angel to you?” Duterte, who has earned the nickname "Punisher" because of his strong anti-crime campaign, said.
“It was what the people wanted. Would you believe it, at this point, that was what they wanted. It was not even just a casual cursing. It was altogether, virulent as I said,” he added.
“But how did I have a margin of seven million if I was perceived as rude, foul-mouthed or bad boy? Why? No one can explain.”
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Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo said the presumptive president would continue to do his job regardless of what people will say.
“He's a working president but he will not work depending on the reaction of the people. He will depend on the law. He has a policy and he will implement it. He has a program he will enforce,” Panelo said.
“There is a law that should be applied to all,” he added.
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