Palace says Duterte wants to ‘cut short’ his term rather than extending it

FILE: Responding to Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III’s statement on President Rodrigo Duterte’s term extension, Malacañang said the President himself is opposed to the idea. (ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Responding to Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III’s statement on President Rodrigo Duterte’s term extension, Malacañang said the President himself is opposed to the idea.

“I can categorically state that PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) does not want that. He wants to cut short his term rather than lengthen it,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a message to reporters on Wednesday.

Earlier Wednesday, Pimentel, who is a party mate and staunch ally of Duterte, said that the President’s six-year term could be extended “if really necessary” during the “transitory period” under the shift to federalism.

“We can extend the President’s term 1. if really necessary, and 2. if he is amenable to it, and 3. since that extension will be part of the new Constitution, the new Constitution is approved by the people themselves,” Pimentel said.

The 1987 Constitution mandates a 6-year single term for presidents. Article VII, Section 4 of that Constitution stated, “No person who has succeeded as President and has served as such for more than four years shall be qualified for election to the same office at any time.”

Duterte’s six-year term is set to end in 2022.

A shift to a federal form of government is one of the President’s campaign promises. Pimentel and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez are among the advocates of federalism.

There are many times that Duterte offers resigning from his position as the president of the country. In 2016, the Chief Executive proposed to leave his post if Congress could fast-track the shift to federalism.

He also said that he would resign if any of his children get involved in corruption and if his administration will not be able to control the problem of illegal drugs in the country.

In November 2017, Duterte said he would tender his resignation letter if a Constitution that would suit way of life and correct the country’s problem would be crafted.

Aside from this, he also lamented that he regret his decision to run for president, even saying that if he were to go back in time, he would have not have “committed the same mistake.”

Former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. earlier believed that Duterte should stay in power even after the Philippines adopts federalism as a form of government so people can see that this type of government system is good.