Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano formally bid his goodbye as member of President Duterte’s cabinet during his birthday celebration here on Sunday evening.
“It’s my time Mr. President to say thank you and goodbye to the cabinet. But you did’nt lose a co-league in the cabinet to my dear co-leagues Mr. President, “Cayetano said in his message at The Marco Polo Davao.
“You did’nt lose a loyal lieutenant or soldier, you are gaining staunches ally in Congress, of course with your support,” he added.
Cayetano said he will continue the ‘Duterte Revolution’ once elected as member of the House of Representatives because it is ‘not a simple change but a radical real change that the would feel and it will last.’
The former Foreign Affairs Secretary celebrated his birthday in the president’s hometown to express his gratitude to the first family.
“The president taught me of the meaning of zero-sum game,” he said pointing out the war against illegal drugs, corruption and criminality.
“Either you allow it or you don’t allow it, there is no such thing that you can regulate it,” Cayetano added.
He said Duterte also taught him how diplomacy works despite disputes with other country.
“We have conflict, we have disputes with Malaysia, Vietnam until this day. There are many features that we claim in the South China Sea in our EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) that are held by Vietnam and Malaysia but we can continue to do well with them,” he said.
Cayetano said Duterte made the country closer to the neighboring countries of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Preisdent Duterte thanked Cayetano for his working in his cabinet and as a running-mate during the 2016 election .
” I’d like to convey to you Alan my gratitude and my heartfelt thanks for joining the Cabinet, helping me in the hours of my distress as a government worker and as a friend. It was an honor running with you,” the president said in his speech.
