{"id":62965,"date":"2015-10-16T07:36:35","date_gmt":"2015-10-16T12:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=62965"},"modified":"2015-10-16T07:36:35","modified_gmt":"2015-10-16T12:36:35","slug":"its-final-duterte-not-running-for-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2015\/10\/16\/its-final-duterte-not-running-for-president\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s final: Duterte not running for president"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"(L)<\/a>
(L) Davao Mayor Rodrigo \u201cRody\u201d Duterte (Photo from Duterte’s official website<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MANILA \u2013 Still not filing a certificate of candidacy (COC) on the last day, Davao Mayor Rodrigo \u201cRody\u201d Duterte muted calls for him to join the presidential race in next year\u2019s national elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cA little over two years ago, I posted in the government website over the Internet that I was not interested in the presidency. Nothing has changed\u2026 I am comfortable where I am now,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Inday Sara would want it, she has the choice of running in 2016 or the next election. Personally, the earlier the better. I want to retire. I am tired. Give the presidency to the one who wants it. I don\u2019t,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Duterte\u2019s daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, earlier posted a photo of her holding a signed COC for Davao mayor. She recently gave her father the go-signal to run for president despite previously being openly against it. She also shaved her head to show support.<\/p>\n

(Read: Insert link)<\/p>\n

Duterte\u2019s son, Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, also allowed his father to seek the country\u2019s highest post after being visited by his grandmother in a dream.<\/p>\n

The tough-talking mayor earlier cited his family as one of the reasons why he could not run in the coming general elections.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, one of Duterte\u2019s executive assistants filed his candidacy for mayor. Filing the COC at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Manila, the aide wore a shirt with the text: \u201cNo is no\u201d in front, and \u201cSinabi ko na ayaw ko<\/em>, ang titigas ng ulo niyo<\/em> \u2013 Rody Duterte\u201d (I said that I didn\u2019t want to, you are heard-headed \u2013 Rody Duterte) printed at the back.<\/p>\n

Duterte earlier apologized to those who urged for his candidacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am sorry to disappoint those who spent much and worked hard and long in support of me as I went around the country espousing the benefits and advantages of federalism,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI therefore beg for everyone\u2019s kind understanding and acceptance of my sincerest apologies\u2026 After all, there was no ambition for me to aspire for presidency. The country does not need me. I find no need for it. I guess it is fate that wills that our long journey together should end this way,\u201d he further said.<\/p>\n

The local chief executive\u2019s refusal to join the presidential race disappointed many of his supporters who trooped to the Comelec office, hoping that he would still change his mind and finally run for president.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m downhearted. The country needs him and the mayor has the commitment for service to the country,\u201d Duterte\u2019s legal counsel and Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod secretary-general Lawyer Melchor Quitain said in an interview, adding that he respected Duterte\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MANILA \u2013 Still not filing a certificate of candidacy (COC) on the last day, Davao Mayor Rodrigo \u201cRody\u201d Duterte muted …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":62966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1482,1145,16,95,483],"tags":[249],"class_list":["post-62965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-breaking","category-headline","category-news","category-news-ph","category-politics","tag-rewrite","mauthors-cyra-moraleda","mauthors-philippine-canadian-inquirer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62965\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}