'YOU
CANNOT ESCAPE FROM YOUR DESTINY...'
By
Manny Pinol
Several
months ago, as I was hitting practice balls in the Davao City Golf Club fairway
No. 1, Davao City Rody Duterte walked out of the backdoor of his modest home in
a low-cost housing subdivision to a waiting Raven helicopter which he uses to
move around the city.
Shaking
hands with him and exchanging pleasantries, I asked him if he would listen to
the clamor of the people for him to run for President of the Philippines.
What
I got was a wry smile and a statement which somehow blamed me and a few others
for whipping up the idea of the Presidency.
"Kamo
gyud! Kamo gyud nagsugod ining kabuang. Ikaw na lang Pare, mas qualified ka pa
sa ako," he joked. (You people! You started this madness. Why you run
instead Pare, you are more qualified than me.)
We
both laughed and then I came close to him and whispered: "Remember this:
You cannot escape from your destiny."
Last
Saturday night, during the boxing event at the Almendras Gym (now called the
Davao City Recreation Center) which the Mayor attended and stayed in until 2:30
in the morning of Sunday, I repeated the same line while introducing two
outstanding young boxers and thanking Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy for his support
to Philippine boxing.
Calling
him "The Unwilling President," I repeated the line which I whispered
to him before he rode his chopper many months ago: "You cannot escape from
your destiny."
Hearing
that, the almost 3,000 people who filled the gymnasium erupted in a wild cheer.
The
Mayor bowed his head and covered his face with his two hands.
He
must have realized that indeed, he cannot escape from his destiny.
Recently,
that same line, "You cannot escape from your destiny" was used by a
group of former top government officials who launched the Duterte for 2016
Movement in Greenhills, San Juan City.
Here
is a report from the Philippine Star of that launching.
MANILA,
Philippines - A former ranking government official on Monday said that the
outspoken Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is destined to lead the country come
the presidential derby in 2016.
Eduardo
del Rosario, former National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
executive director, said that while Duterte has initially turned down offers
for him to run for the highest post in the land, there is still a chance for
him to change his mind.
"Ito
kasi parang advocacy na ito. There is what we call destiny. Kung talagang
destiny ng isang na sya ang mamuno sa ating bayan kahit ayaw n'ya baka sa
bandang dulo , ma-encourage siya na tumakbo din," del Rosario told
reporters at the sidelines of the Duterte for 2016 President Movement in Greenhills,
San Juan City.
Being
the mayor's friend, Del Rosario, who had worked with Duterte for over six
years, said the Davao City local chief executive is a capable of running the
country.
"As
a friend of Mayor Duterte, I worked with him for more than six years as
battalion commander from 2000 to 2003 , as Task Force Davao commander from 2004
to 2006 and as Brigade commander in 2009, I know that Mayor Duterte is capable
to become president of our country...Malaki ang kanyang kakayahan at maganda
ang kanyang ginagawa. Yan ang kailangan ng ating bayan," he added.
He
also noted what Duterte has done in Davao like being able to lower the crime
rate in the city and instill discipline among his constituents.
He
said there is a "silent majority" supporting the idea of Duterte
running for president.
Aside
from Del Rosario, ex-Philippine National Police chief Roberto Lastimoso was
also sighted at the event.
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