Police have denied they are implementing Duterte’s campaign promises even before he takes office on June 30, insisting earlier this month that the first eight suspects were killed in self-defence.
Advertisement
However, Duterte announced last week that he would be absent from the proceedings, instead choosing to tie up loose strings in Davao City, where he has been mayor for over 22 years. He has said he does not plan to attend his proclamation as president-elect in metropolitan Manila.
“I don’t care about your 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. (work hours)”.
A screenshot taken from a CCTV’s video shows Rodrigo Duterte, newly elected Philippine president.
Philippine Senate president Frank Drilon (2nd left) and House speaker Feliciano Belmonte (3rd right) raise the hands of vice president-elect Leni Robredo (3rd left) during Robredo’s proclamation as vice president at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives in Manila.
Duterte, 71, who has stayed mostly in Davao city since the elections, did not immediately comment.
Robredo, a widow of former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo who died in a plane crash, garnered 14,418,817 votes, only 263,473 votes ahead of his closest rival Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“A friendly, stable and sound China-Philippines relationship is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and their people”, Xi said in a congratulatory message to Mr Duterte Monday after his victory in the May 9 election was officially confirmed.
Crisitina Pastor, editor of the New York-based Filipino American magazine The FilAm, said “makes Duterte, a bitter-pill president, easier to swallow”.
However, the pressure on Beijing is growing with a host of worldwide leaders assembled at the recently concluded G7 Summit issuing a strong statement against China.
“I don’t think that there is another way of resolving this dispute except talking to each other”, Yasay told reporters this week.
The election of Benigno Aquino as president in 2010 changed things for the better for the Philippines, and by 2012, the Asian nation was seeing 6%-plus annual economic growth and, for the educated at least, a rare chance to find jobs at home.
Aquino, the son of democracy champions who fought against Marcos’ dictator father, campaigned against Duterte, saying he may become a dictator.
Advertisement
Aguirre explained that volunteers, many of whom “spent their own money” to help Duterte, “would be very happy” to see him personally proclaimed as president-elect.
