Duterte to keep his pickup, refuses to ride in presidential Benz

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte is keen on keeping his old pickup truck even though he is headed to Malacañang Palace.

Addressing his constituents at the Davao City Hall during his last flag-raising ceremony as Mayor, Duterte said he refuses to ride in the presidential fleet once he takes his office on June 30.

“Diri ra ko sa pickup kay diri ko naanad. Nagsugod ko ug pick up, 1988. Ma-presidente ko, pickup lang gihapon. Ako sila giignan adto sa Malacañang na dili ko musakay anang mga Mercedes-Benz nila kay ang tanang mga nisakay diha kay murag walay swerte sa kinabuhi. Mapahawa. Mapriso. [expletive] [I will keep my pick up because this is what I’m used to. I’ve been using the pickup since 1988. Even though I will become President, I will still use my pick up. I told the people in Malacañang that I will not ride in their Mercedes-Benz vehicles because all who rode in those vehicles didn’t have much luck in life. Ousted. Sent to jail],” he said.

Duterte has been using a black Isuzu pickup in Davao City for almost three decades.

Last month, incoming special assistant to the President, Christopher “Bong” Go had urged government officials under Duterte’s administration to refrain from using luxurious vehicles.

The presidential fleet at the Palace is composed of two Mercedes-Benz W221 S-Class limousines acquired in 1998 and a Mercedes-Benz a600 S-Guard vehicle bought in 2007, which was noted to be in bad shape.

President Benigno Aquino III had also refused to use the presidential fleet and has been using his own Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus. — BAP, GMA News