Duterte won’t stay in office beyond his term, daughter Sara says

President Rodrigo Duterte does not want to stay in office beyond his term, his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte said Wednesday amid speculation that his allies are pushing for Charter change to extend their terms.

In an ambush interview, Sara said her 72-year-old father is actually keen on retiring.

“He does not want a term extension for him. In fact pag nagawa na niya yung mga pinromise niya na gagawin niya para sa ating bansa...gusto na niya mag-retire,” she said in an ambush interview in Koronadal City.

“The President is not supportive of a no-election scenario because he respects the democracy that we have in our country,” she added.

The Davao City mayor said it is best to leave to Congress the contents of the new Constitution that would be drafted to change the form of government to federalism.

The decision to approve the draft rests on the public anyway, she said.

“Antayin na lang natin kung ano yung maporma na type of federalism na setup para sa ating bansa and then that will be submitted to a plebiscite,” she said.

“Kung alin man yung manalo, yes or no, we should respect the decision of the majority,” she added.

President Duterte’s allies in Congress want to convene into a constituent assembly that would amend the Charter to pave the way for a federal form of government, which President Duterte has long pushed for.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez wants the Constitution amended and submitted to a plebiscite by May 2018, but Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III is looking at the mid-term elections in May 2019 as a more realistic timeline to submit a new Charter to a public vote. — Roel Osano and Jam Sisante/RSJ, GMA News