Duterte was the guest of honor during the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod-Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HTL-HNP) miting de avance on Friday, May 6.
Duterte reiterated that his support will only be for his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is running for vice president, alongside her runningmate, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“Usbon nako ha, wala koy presidente nga suportahan. Bahala na mo’g kinsay inyong gusto. Dili ko momando ninyo nga mao kini, mao kana, si talpulano wala, neutral ko,” the President said during the event at San Pedro Street in Davao City.
(I’ll say this again, okay? I’m not supporting any presidential candidate. It is up to you who you want to vote for. I won’t dictate who you’ll vote for. I am neutral.)
The President’s party, PDP-Laban Cusi Wing, had publicly endorsed the “BBM-Sara” candidate.
Duterte joined his children on stage, Sara, Sebastian and Veronica. Sebastian, an incumbent vice mayor, is running for mayor in the city.
The President, then city mayor, founded HTL in 2011, while Duterte-Carpio HNP in 2018.
Meanwhile, he told the audience not to vote for Senator Richard Gordon.
“Pero sa mga senador, naa koy gisuportahan tungod kay pagtan-aw nako, naay ubang senador diha nga dili gyud angay nang masenador. Ang usa ana kaning mestizong Amerikano nga si Gordon. [laughter] Ayaw mo’g boto ana kay tulisan ng p***** i** na,” Duterte said.
(But I’m supporting some senators because I saw that there are people who no longer deserve to be senators, and one of them is the mestizo American, Gordon. Don’t vote for him because that son of a b**** is a thief.)
The President said he personally saw the senator’s corrupt practices.
“Og dili ako nga Presidente nikalkal anang butanga, di gyud na mugawas. Ana ka-powerful ng mga senador ug congressman, labi na gyud ang mga senador. Now Gordon sige ra na’g balik-balik. Ang hanapbuhay ana gobyerno,” he said.
(If I hadn’t looked into that matter, it would have never been made public. That is how powerful the senators and congressmen are and especially the senators. Now Gordon keeps on getting reelected. Ang hanapbuhay niya gobyerno.)
The President also disclosed Gordon’s debt from his stint as Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman and administrator.
Duterte, in his prerecorded Talk to the People, called Gordon a “thief” anew for his alleged involvement in corruption in the Philippine Red Cross, which the senator chairs.
Gordon, a chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, led a number of investigations on the government’s deal with Pharmally for the procurement of Covid-related supplies.
