Baste Duterte campaigns in Cebu, defends father from criticisms

The youngest son of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte defended his father amid the claim of Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas that illegal drugs remained prevalent in Davao City.

Sebastian “Baste” Duterte told a news conference during the launching of Cebu for Duterte Movement on Wednesday that while drug problems in Davao City had not been totally eliminated, his father managed to minimize it.

Roxas, former interior secretary, claimed he knew where to buy illegal drugs in Davao City, which he said ranked fourth highest in crime incidence in the country.

“Dili man gyud masala totally ang droga (Problem on illegal drugs cannot be totally eliminated),” said Baste.

He said there were times when the city was cleaned of the menace following the arrest of the drug pushers. But another group would try to sell drugs in Davao, he added.

“Ug gahi ilang ulo, mas gahi among ulo aron atubangon sila (If the drug pushers are hard headed, we are more hard-headed in facing them),” he added.

Baste was in Cebu City for the launching of the Cebu for Duterte Movement on Wednesday morning.

On Thursday, he would join the Cebu for Duterte caravan which would start from the South Road Properties (SRP) to Carcar City in the south and then to Danao City in the north.

Baste said he has always been a private person and has kept himself away from the political limelight unlike his two siblings – elder sister Sara who had served as Davao mayor and brother Paolo, now Davao City vice mayor.

But he said his father had fulfilled the commitments he had made to his city.

“I admire him for what he has done for Davao,” he said. Baste, a graduate of A.B. Political Science in Ateneo de Davao, said he looks up to his father who he described as disciplinarian.

“Kapag nakasala ka, paksit gyud ka. Human ug bokbok sa akoa gakson ra man ko niya (If you have done something wrong, he will punish you. After punching me, he would hug me),” he said.

He assured Cebuano voters that his father would be able to stand by his commitment to address the country’s problem on criminality in three to six months if elected president.

He said that once his father made a promise, he would fulfill it.

Asked about his father’s cursing, Baste said they were already used to his father’s cursing at home since it was his way of releasing his anger.

But on the issue of Duterte’s penchant of kissing women, Baste replied in jest, “Lami na. Kiss gani. (It tastes good. It’s a kiss after all)” Baste, however, admitted he would not kiss the women publicly because he has two children and doesn’t want him doing it.