Duterte disowns Banayo statement

By Manny Piñol

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has disowned a statement issued by a political strategist that he has made up his mind on the Presidency and will definitely run in the 2016 elections.

A statement issued by the Mayor through his official spokesman, former Davao City Council Peter Tiu Laviña said "the news this afternoon at GMA News attributed to Lito Banayo was his own opinion or reading of the situation."

Mayor Duterte during his first term flanked by his Chief-of-Staff Leoncio Evasco, Jr. and Head Executive Assistant Peter Lavina

Banayo, former administrator of the National Food Authority and a political strategist who volunteered to help Duterte during the "Listening Tour" on Federalism, issued a statement which was aired by GMA News that the Davao City Mayor was sure to run for President.

Banayo's announcement came as Mayor Duterte was in the process of "soul-searching" and consulting his family who had opposed the call for him to run for President.

"Mayor Duterte stands by his statement last night (Friday) that he has not made a final decision on running for President in 2016," the statement said.

"We reiterate his call for his supporters and everyone to just wait and see if he will file his candidacy on October 15 or before the deadline set by the COMELEC," the statement said.

Mayor Duterte took exception to the timing of the announcement of his supposed decision to run as it was made at the same time Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. made his formal statement to run for the Vice Presidency.

"The timing of this news release, however, has left a bad taste in the mouth as we received complaints that it was meant to crowd out the scheduled declaration rally of one vice presidential candidate," said the statement.

"Mayor Duterte has no such intention to do so and has even been shying away from media as he continues his “soul searching,” the statement added.

Banayo is known to be endorsing Senator Alan Peter Cayetano to be the vice presidential running mate of Mayor Duterte should he decide to run.

Both Cayetano and Marcos have expressed their support for Mayor Duterte in case he runs for President.

While Banayo has been helping the Duterte camp in media networking and political arrangements, he is neither the official spokesman or the political adviser of Mayor Duterte as he had previously announced.

The official spokesman of Mayor Duterte is Peter Tiu Laviña, a long-time friend of the Mayor, while his political adviser is Maribojoc, Bohol Mayor Jun Evasco.

Evasco, a former Catholic priest who served as Duterte's political adviser for over 20 years, is seldom seen in public with the Mayor.

"The official Facebook account of the mayor is Rody Duterte, the other accounts and pages claiming to do so are not," the statement advised.

Duterte vows to pursue peace talks with rebels

by Chito A. Fuentes

STA. CRUZ, Davao del Sur - Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte Monday vowed to pursue peace talks with communist rebels when he becomes president, reviving hopes that he is indeed considering a presidential run after all.

Duterte was in Sta. Cruz as guest speaker during the town’s 131st anniversary. 

Mayor Duterte flanked by Sta. Cruz Mayor Joel Ray Lopez and cousin Vice Mayor Alexis Almendras. (Photo from facebook.com/Allan Afdal Nawal)

The mayor, who had consistently resisted calls to run for president in next year’s election, this time was no longer as adamant after he was introduced as the country’s 16th president.

“Sooner or later, we will have to talk,” he told a highly-partisan crowd which braved the sweltering heat for the popular mayor of their neighboring city.

Duterte playfully asked his audience if there were any rebels around and for those present to raise their hands for him to see them.

Seeing none, the mayor cajoled them to be truthful and asked again.

The mayor then turned serious saying he is determined to see a peaceful resolution to the decades-old insurgency problem.

“Let us sit down. I’m not trying to be cocky but if I am the president, you come down and we’ll talk,” he said, prompting applause from his audience.

Sta. Cruz had been the scene of bloody skirmishes between government troops and rebels in the past.

The presence of uniformed soldiers among the crowd was a reminder of the elusive peace in this part of the country.

“(Prof. Jose Ma.) Sison said he will be willing to come home if Duterte becomes the president,” the mayor disclosed.

The mayor explained that the founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines was one of his college professors.

Duterte reiterated that unlike his hardline stance against criminals, he is determined to bring about the kind of peace which Davao is known for.

“The peace in Davao is a realization of the dream of my father,” he pointed out.

The mayor’s father, the late Gov. Vicente Duterte, was the last governor of a unified Davao province which included Sta. Cruz.

Unlike his earlier resistance to the popular clamor, Duterte seemed to be warming up to a presidential run as the countdown to the filing of the certificates of candidacy draws near.

Last Sept. 26, the mayor was visibly moved by thousands who braved the rains to join a rally in Luneta to renew calls for his candidacy.

Duterte promised his supporters that he will do a final soul-searching with himself and his family.

In a text message read for him by former Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon, Duterte promised the rallyists that he will “never” leave them. (CHITO A. FUENTES)