With barely two months until his term ends, President Rodrigo Duterte voiced hope that the next administration would be better in “all aspects.”
“When I think of my country…I hope and I pray that the next administration will be much better than mine in all aspects. Dinadasal ko ‘yan para sa kababayan, para sa inyo (I am praying for it for my fellow countrymen),” Duterte said. The President visited the families affected by typhoon Agaton in Pontevedra, Capiz.
On May 9, Filipinos will vote to elect Duterte’s successor, who will enter office on June 30. Duterte has stated numerous times that he will not support any presidential candidate.
Duterte also wished the future president success in combating the insurrection by communists.
He pushed communist insurgents to surrender once more, saying he hoped his successor would “reconnect” with them and wish it would succeed.
Duterte attempted to establish a political agreement with the communist rebels. Still, talks broke down in 2017. The President accused the insurgents of not being sincere because of their “acts of violence and hostility” that put innocent people’s lives and property at risk.
Duterte hopes next administration better than his
He proclaimed in December 2020 that until the conclusion of his tenure, there would be no truce between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.
In his address, Duterte emphasized that in his anti-drug campaign, he exclusively targeted criminals, as opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine.
“Pero ako tapos na but I promised you ‘yung droga kaya gusto kong magsalita. Ang droga hintuin ‘yan ninyo. Just like the communists, you drop the drugs or otherwise, I will kill you,” Duterte said.
“Si Putin pinapatay niya lahat bata, babae, [at] matanda, ako pinapatay ko criminal… mga durogista because kayong nasa droga pag pinapakain ninyo mga anak namin eventually you will destroy my country,” he added.
Duterte stated earlier that Putin’s actions deserved “condemnation.”
The Philippines’ official death toll from the drug war was over 6,000, while rights groups claim the true figure is significantly higher.
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