MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Monday that he will not retire from politics once his term ends in June of next year because he still has goals he wants to accomplish.
“There are just things that I have to do before retiring. But not really staying for something na (that) it’s no longer our time,” Duterte said in a speech in General Santos City.
He didn’t say what these goals are, but he did say that “there’s always a time for everything”.
“A time to be great, a time to be small, a time to be a shining star, but a time to fade and just maghanap ka na lang ng kanto kung saan magkakasya. Ganoon ang tingin namin sa buhay namin (look for a place to fit in. That’s what we think about life),” he added.
Duterte stated that it does not matter whether his administration is remembered for their achievements because it is their mission to serve the country and the people.
“We do not really care if we are remembered or not. That’s something na (that’s) irrelevant kasi (because) as I have said trabaho namin ‘yan (it’s our job) and we are just doing what we are supposed to do,” he said.
Duterte declared his retirement from politics on October 2.
However, he startled many when he announced his candidacy for senator in the 2022 elections through a representative.
Representative Melchor Aranas filed his certificate of candidacy on November 15 at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Intramuros, Manila, on the last day of the filing of statements of withdrawal and substitution.
He replaced Mona Liza Visorde, who had withdrawn her certificate of candidacy for senator.
Duterte is running for senator under Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS), an allied party of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
The PDP-Laban had previously planned to field Duterte for vice president and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go for president.
He later withdrew his vice presidential bid in consideration of public sentiment that his intent to seek the second top post violates the Constitution.
He was referring to a national poll by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) from June 23 to 26, which revealed that 60 percent of 1,200 adult Filipinos believed his vice-presidential bid could violate the Constitution’s intention, “which should be modified first before he may run for office again”.
