Duterte says he's running for president out of 'love' for country

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said that his love for country and its people led him to enter the presidential race.

"Nganong nia man ko ngiri? Why am I here? I am here because I love my country and I love the people of the Philippines. I am a native of the Philippines," the tough-talking Duterte said in his 60-second closing statement at the first leg of PiliPinas Debates 2016.

It is out of this love, he said, that he vows to solve the country's perennial problems of illegal drugs, crime, and corruption in government "in a matter of three to six months."

"Kung bigyan n'yo ako ng pagkakataon -- only if God wills it also -- I will stop it, I said. This is an imposed restriction on me. Hindi ako nagpapabilib sa inyo," he said.

He added: "Because I believe that without peace, with corruption, we cannot really survive and develop as a nation."

It took weeks of guessing before the mayor made official his intention to run for president in the coming May elections.

He made his bid official on Nov. 27, 2015, nearly a month after the PDP-Laban's initial candidate, Martin Diño, announced that he was backing out of the race. The mayor then withdrew his certificate of candidacy for reelection in Davao City, where his daughter, Sara, took his place.

But even when he was declining, he repeatedly spoke about his intention to get rid of drugs and crime, even saying that killings of criminals would take place if necessary if he would lead the country.

Duterte came to the debates in the prescribed Barong Tagalog, despite his camp's earlier reservations in briefings with the event's organizers, saying he might not be comfortable in the dress code.

He also limited his cussing to one or two instances during the event.

Despite threats to walk out of the debate if he wasn't given enough time to answer, he remained on his podium throughout.

Before delivering his closing remarks, he said he could "go on until nine" in the evening, and requested for at least "an hour" more for the candidates "to explain more" on issues and their platforms of government.

The debate held at the Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City ran for two hours from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. —ALG, GMA News