BACOLOD City – “Presidency is a gift from God.”
President Rodrigo Duterte said this during his speech at the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign rally held at the Victorias City Coliseum last night.
“Alam ng Diyos na may diskarte ako,” added the President, who before the campaign rally was in Sagay City to distribute certificate of landownership awards among agrarian reform beneficiaries there.
Duterte made this remark to defend himself from critics of his administration.
“If you want to criticize me, criticize me as a Filipino, not a part of the institution,” he said.
In mid-2017, the President – who is known worldwide for his bloody “war on drugs” campaign – once again drew international attention when he called God stupid.
“Who is this stupid God? This son of a bitch is then really stupid. You were not involved but now you’re stained with an original sin … What kind of a religion is that? That’s what I can’t accept, very stupid proposition,” he said last year.
A week after that, he also dared to resign should anyone prove that God exists.
Around 50,000 people composed of local officials and supporters attended the campaign in Victorias City.
Duterte campaigned for PDP-Laban senatorial candidates former Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, former Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, Coco Pimentel, and Francis Tolentino.
Negros Occidental 3rd District representative and PDP-Laban chairman Albee Benitez lauded the current administration’s efforts on illegal drug suppression, free tertiary education, universal healthcare, and affordable housing projects in his speech during the event. (With Christ John Gamarcha/PN)
