Incoming President Rodrigo Duterte has announced on Sunday, May
29, that he will not be attending his proclamation as the winner of the recent
presidential election.
“I am not attending any
proclamation. I’ve never attended any proclamation in my life,” Duterte told reporters during a meeting at Hotel Elena in Davao
City.
Duterte added that nothing can convince him to change his mind
about attending his proclamation as the new president of the Philippines.
The outgoing Davao City
mayor explained that the reason he does not like attending proclamations is
because he finds these events “corny.”
PDP-Laban president
Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel has earlier said that Duterte is not mandated
to attend the proclamation.
“Pakiusapan po namin
kung puwedeng mag-attend ng kanyang proclamation (We will ask him if he could
attend his proclamation) but it’s not really necessary or mandatory,” Pimentel told the media on Thursday, May 26.
Despite Duterte’s
announcement that he will not be attending his proclamation, some of his close
associates like Vitaliano Aguirre II – the incoming Secretary of the Department
of Justice – believe that he will eventually show up in the proclamation.
When Duterte was asked
about sending a representative for the proclamation of the election winners, he
said, “I don’t know. May mga abogado ako doon. Makinig na lang
sila (I don’t know. I have lawyers there.
They should just listen.)”
The proclamation of the
winners of the presidential and vice-presidential election may take place
within this week after the canvassing of votes was finished in just three days
– from Wednesday, May 25, at 2 p.m. to Friday, May 27, at 7:30 p.m. — which is
the fastest canvassing in the history of the Philippine election.
Aside from not planning
to attend the proclamation, Duterte is also not planning to use the number 1
presidential license plate and the Malacañang Palace as his residence. He says
that he wants to show humility and simplicity by avoiding these special
privileges.
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