Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte pronounced on Thursday night that a vote for PDP candidates is a vote against the Marcos administration.
Speaking before candidates and allies during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) National Coordination Meeting held at the Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City, Duterte said that the current administration has done nothing but to deceive and oppress the Filipinos.
“Kasi matagal na tayong pinapahirapan, I know becasue I am a local elected official and as far as I can see and mga obserbasyon ko, this administration has been very oppressive. Lahat ng mga kandidato natin under the PDP and guest candidates will be a vote against an administration that has done nothing but fool and oppress this country and its people,” the mayor said.
Duterte, PDP’s vice executive president, said having a progressive country is not easy to achieve.
“Kaya nga may mga taong binibigay yung buong buhay nila, tulad ni Rizal, Bonifacio, mga sundalo na nakipaghimagsikan sa bukid laban sa insurgency, mga pulis na binigay ang kanilang buhay para tayo ay mabuhay ng mapayapa at umunlad. Hindi talaga madali kung gusto natin ng bansa na pinapanaginip natin na makamit. Ang tanong ngayon, kasi magsisimula na yung kampanya, kung sina Rizal, mga sundalo, napaslang, how much can you give to our country during this election?” he said.
The mayor emphasized it would be an uphill battle and challenged the candidates on how much they could give to the country in the campaign period amid lack of resources.
“At this crucial juncture magsisimula na yung campaign so kailangan talaga mga kapatid ko sa PDP yung participation ninyo during the campaign. Medyo challenging, its an uphill battle. We are against the resources of an entire nation. Medyo nakikita natin at pag naiisip natin, feeling ba natin kaya ba? Kundi magdadalawang isip ka. Pero I do believe that having or creating a country that embodies our ideals does not come that easy,” he said.
Duterte reiterated that they are up against the resources of the entire country, however, he is optimistic that PDP candidates can make the country great again through the help of the Filipinos.
“As we see it and again, I will reiretarate because we are up against the resources of the entire country. Seeing how centralized the government is working now medyo problema yan but kung maalala ninyo 2016 where was Rodrigo Duterte in the surveys? Nasa pinakababa. He was least expected na manalo for the presidency but because the Filipino people believed in him, believed we can make our country great dahil sa tulong o sa kagustuhan nga mga ordinaryong Pilipino nakapaglagay tayo ng presidente that embodied yung ideals and aspirations ng bawat Pilipino,” he said.
Meanwhile, former President Rodrigo Duterte
In his message during the event has called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to give them a fair fight in the upcoming 2025 midterm local and national elections.
“So this coming election, I hope that the President, kung marinig niya ako, bigyan niya na lang tayo ng patas na laban. We will not allow, na kagaya ko noon na prangka-prangka ako sa mga tao, wag kayong pumasok sa mga takutan pati yung sa violence, it’s not good. Let us leep democracy as handed down to our parents,” the former president said.
The PDP bets for senator includes reelectionists Senators Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, actor Philip Salvador, lawyers Jimmy Bondoc and Jayvee Hinlo and Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOGC) founder Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy.
