DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte has reiterated he will step down as president if the people will no longer trust and find him fit to lead the country.
He said this following accusations of corruption at the Bureau of Customs (BoC) linking his son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and his son-in-law Manases “Mans” Carpio – the husband of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Duterte, however, dared accusers to show proof - a CCTV footage with voice recording wherein a person gave money for a transaction and accepted by the vice mayor and Carpio.
Speaking before men and women of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) during its 11th founding anniversary at the Naval Station Felix Apolinario (NSFA) in Panacan, Davao City late Friday afternoon, the President admitted that Carpio told him about the offer of Mighty Corporation to be its legal counsel on the tax case filed against the cigarette firm.
“Basta wala ka lang hingin sa akin (As long as you will not ask favor from me),” Duterte recalled telling Carpio. The time came when there was an offer of P3 billion that Duterte said he did not accept until the offer was raised to P45 billion.
Duterte said Carpio is a practicing lawyer, emphasizing that just like doctors, lawyers have their oath of office to defend without fear or favor. It’s part of the job, he said.
As for son Paolo, Duterte said, “Sinabi ko bigyan ninyo ako ng affidavit na may taong nagbigay siya mismo, kung may camera, may audio, mas maganda at tinanggap niya at narinig ko - ito bayad sa ano (I said provide me an affidavit, if there is a camera, an audio, it’s better and he accepted and I heard – this is a payment for).”
“I will step down. Pag na-involve ako sa corruption o ‘yung mga anak ko. Huwag naman ‘yung basura na ituro lang na ganun, na ganun (If I am involved in corruption or my children, but not that trash of just pointing a finger at you),” he stressed.
The President expressed disgust over recent accusations involving his family in the BoC issue. He said Senator Antonio Trillanes has been throwing all trash at him and Paolo since the election period.
When Trillanes accused him of amassing P211 million in total bank accounts, Duterte said he even gave a permission to dig into it until the last rural bank of the Philippines. But Duterte said all the accusations of Trillanes are all trash.
“Pagdating ng panahon na nakita ninyo ako binobola ko kayo (When the time comes you see me that I was just flattering all of you) , you are free to advise me to step down or I myself would step down,” he said.
"Prangka-prangka lang ako sa inyo kasi Presidente ninyo ako at dapat ang tingin ninyo ‘yung tao na ako makapadala. I’m able to run an organization such as the military and the Armed Forces and the Police (Let’s be frank…I will be frank because I am your President and the way you see is I am capable to run…I am able to run an organization such as the military and the police),” the President said.
He added that he has no illusion to cling to the presidency. “I’m ready to step down, especially on the issue of corruption,” Duterte said. (Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA)
