If it was any indication of preferences, Davao City Mayor Rody
Duterte was reported to have spent about an hour-and-a-half in the cavernous
Bulwagan room speaking with Iglesia ni Cristo Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo
last April 22.
Clumsily clad in an
unbuttoned barong with rolled up sleeves, and wearing leather shoes and
corduroy, a relatively formal-looking Duterte shook hands with Manalo who was
wearing the typical suit he dons during special occasions.
The two got along quite
well, according to insiders who accompanied Duterte. Days later, a fake letter supposedly signed by Manalo endorsing
Duterte went viral on Facebook. The INC quickly disowned it and said it would
file charges against people behind it. One sure sign it was fake? It contained
a typo and spelled “Rodrigo” as “Ridrido”. The Iglesia typically sends out
formal, clean letters in flawless Filipino, we are told.
The mayor, who was
formally invited to have an audience with Manalo, joked and chatted the time
away. By now, we all know how Duterte is predisposed to long, winding speeches.
Vice President Jejomar
Binay was given about 30 minutes, while administration bet Mar Roxas, who was
accompanied by his wife Korina stayed for around 20 minutes, the Duterte
insiders said.
Is time spent with a
presidential candidate a measure of preference? Your guess is as good as ours.
But of course, there were the latest survey results to go by too. –Rappler.com
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