MINI BIKE. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte receives a replica of a police motorcycle from Police Regional Office 7 director, Chief Supt. Prudencio Banas. Duterte gave a 650 cc Yamaha big bike to Supt. Maria Cristina Monte, the lone female graduate of the PNP HPG Executive Motorcycle Riding Course at Camp Sergio Osmena. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte downplayed reports that he was running for president in 2016 and said he’s considering retiring in Cebu, where his father has roots in Danao City.
“Matagal na ako sa public service and I am not getting any younger,” said the 69-year-old mayor, who was the special guest in the close of the Executive Motorcycle Riding Course of the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) in Cebu City.
“I want to retire, forget about the presidency, ayaw ko talaga. I do not want it. I do not need it. I’m tired,” he told reporters.
“May lupa naman kami dito. (We have land here),” he said, citing Cebu as a good place to retire.
“Magdagdag ako ng asawa, marami ba tayong mahahanap na maganda dito?” he asked in a light vein.
Duterte said that he had received offers from three successive administrations to seek higher office but refused them all.
Nevertheless, he promised Central Visayas police they can approach him for legal assistance for problems in the line of duty.
When Duterte visited Cebu last Oct 5 to induct officers of the Federal Movement for a Better Philippines, he said that if he were elected president, he would abolish Congress and run a revolutionary government.
Duterte, who is a motorbike enthusiast, said using motorcycles in fighting crime was both effective and risky.
One accident alone can get you in bad trouble, he said, so one has to be careful on the road.
Yesterday, 22 police officers, a jail officer and 29 civilians finished the HPG motorcycle riding course at the Police Regional Office 7 headquarters in Camp Sergio Osmeña.
The lone female graduate, , was awarded the “Most Improved” candidate. As a reward, she will receive a 650 cc Yamaha big bike from Duterte.
Duterte promised the PNP his full support in its anti-crime campaign. He said Davao City gives cash rewards of up to P3 million to policemen who kill notorious criminals.
Duterte said he was willing to do the same for policemen outside Davao.
Tired
Saying he’s getting old and tired, Duterte said he would ask his daughter Sarah, a lawyer and former mayor of Davao City, to run for his post.
Duterte has a reputation as a tough leader in maintaining peace and order, and a “punisher” who goes after criminals.
The mayor is a former state prosecutor. He became mayor in 1988 and served a full term until 1998. He then served as congressman from 1998 to 2001, reclaimed the mayoral seat that year and served another full term until 2010.
In 2010 he fielded his daughter, Sarah, for the mayoralty while he ran for vice mayor. The daughter and father tandem won. In 2013 he won back the mayoralty.
Advocacy
Duterte yesterday said he would continue to push for a federal form of government.
“Madaliin natin ‘to, or at least somebody should focus in this problem. Because yang mga politician nasa Maynila, they’re busy cutting each other’s throat, nobody is minding those in Mindanao. Do not wait for the day na duguan na naman itong labanan,” Duterte said.