DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/15 October) — Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s final word on the Presidency is a “no,” with the filing of his certificate of candidacy for mayor at 2:40 p.m. on Thursday, October 15.
Duterte did not personally show up at the Commission on Elecions office in Magsaysay Park. He authorized City Administrator Melchor Quitain to file his COC, accompanied by the mayor’s Chief Executive Assistant, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go who wore a white collared shirt with this message printed in red: “No is no” and at the back, “Sinabi ko na, ayaw ko, ang titigas ng ulo nyo.” (I told you I don’t want to. You’re so stubborn).
“Thank you but I have decided to run as mayor of Davao,” Quitain read the one-sentence message from Duterte, after filing his COC.
Duterte has repeatedly been egged to run for President. On September 7, he announced he was not running for President, claiming his family was against it.
A massive rally at the Luneta on September 26, prompted him to send a message to the crowd that he would do “soul-searching.” On October 9, he said he had three options on the table which he ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 has highest: 8 for the mayoralty, 6-7 for retirement if daughter Sara runs for mayor, and 2 for the the Presidency.
On October 12, the first day of the filing of COCs, he read a five-paragraph statement saying he will not run for President. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
