Extension of term “ultimate nightmare” for Duterte, Palace says

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday dismissed claims that President Rodrigo Duterte would utilize the plan of federalism shift to cling more to power, saying extending his term is the president’s “ultimate nightmare.”

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that Duterte is ready to step down from office once the constitution is amended.

“(Duterte) wants to make institutional changes, particularly on the Constitution and that appears to be his short-term, medium-term and long-term objective…Not even a day longer. To him, that’s the ultimate nightmare. He wants to finish his term. He wants to give it his best shot and that’s it,” Roque said in an interview over CNN Philippines.

“If that’s met, then there’s no use for him to stay. But, he has never, ever, ever said that he is willing to stay one minute longer beyond his term in 2022,” he added.

Roque also renewed his statements that Duterte will abide by the constitution and will not favor plans of the suspension of the 2019 mid-term elections.

“(Duterte) is the chief implementor of the Constitution and because of this, he will abide by the terms of the Constitution. When the Constitution says that the next election will be in May of 2019, he will implement that,” Roque said.

Earlier, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said that the 2019 elections might be canceled if the Constitution is amended and if the shift to the federal form of government transpires.

“You know, the President, after all, was mayor of Davao for almost 30 years. He is used to running in elections and he had not lost an election. But the point is that he is not running in another election and that’s why he sees no benefit really in no-el,” the spokesman added.

He added that the president vowed that the 2019 elections will be the “cleanest that we will ever have.

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He also said that the midterm elections would push through unless the existing constitution is amended.

The opposition, however, believed that Duterte will use the no-election scenario and efforts to amend the constitution to stay in office beyond his term and to institute a dictatorship.