Mar Roxas to Digong Duterte: Suntukan na lang

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's threats that he would slap Mar Roxas won't do the Filipino people any good, the administration standard bearer told reporters on Tuesday.

This, however, didn't stop Roxas from challenging Duterte instead to a fistfight.

"Lahat itong mga sinasabi mong sampalan, ganoon-ganoon—anong kinalaman niyan sa buhay ng 100 milyong Pilipino...? Sa dami ng problema na hinaharap ng ating bansa, ikaw nauuwi ka sa kung ano-anong mga kalokohan," Roxas said after a meeting with congressmen at the Liberal Party headquarters in Cubao.

"Gawin mo na lang kung anong gusto mong gawin. At sampalan? Bakit pa sampalan, pambabae ‘yan, suntukan na lang? Di ba? Simpleng-simple lang ito," he added.

GMA News Online is still trying to get Duterte's reaction to Roxas' remarks. Roxas was told during the interview that the PDP-Laban presidential candidate would go to the LP stalwart's residence in Cubao to slap him.

"Talk, talk, talk. ‘Yan na lang ginagawa mo, Digong eh. Daldal nang daldal. Cubao, Quezon City, aantayin kita," Roxas said, adding his residential address in the area.

Roxas said he's upset with bullies and those who abuse power.

"Alam n’yo, itong tigas-tigasan, itong siga-siga, bumenta na yan eh. Gasgas na ‘yan. Ako, galit ako sa bully. Galit ako sa mga nagsasamantala. Galit ako sa mga naghahari-hari. Galit ako sa mga mabibigat ang kamay," Roxas said.

"Galit ako sa mga tao na akala nila [na] sila lang ang kapangyarihan dito sa bansa natin," he added.

In interview in Davao City, Duterte said he wasn't serious about his threat to slap Roxas. He, however, said that his challenge for Roxas to prove his Wharton School degree was.

Duterte said anyone can upload pictures indicating that he or she graduated from institution. He said Roxas should produce his toga and his certificate.

"I think ang Wharton na mismo ang nagpalabas sa kanilang website ng aking degree. Hindi ko problema na si Mayor Digong ay ayaw maniwala sa mga opisyal na pahayag nitong mga paaralan na ito," Roxas said.

The Davao City local chief executive said he was open to debate on platforms of government but added that he would do so at the proper time.

Duterte said it was too early to talk about such since the campaign period has yet to start. —NB, GMA News