MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte claimed on Monday that the Duterte administration will be “neutral” during the May 2022 national and local elections.
He made this assurance in a prerecorded Talk to the People while recapping his participation in the Summit for Democracy organized by the United States (US) from December 9 to 10.
“This early, I’d like to just – magbigay lang ng payo (I will just give advice) that when it comes to the elections, government, the administration will stand neutral. Neither for or against kami, kalaban o kasama sa partido (We will neither be for or against, opponents or allies in the party), we will participate in the exercise of that right,” he said.
Duterte did not elaborate what he meant by “neutral”, but vowed to make the upcoming elections peaceful.
“We will see to it that there will be no terrorism, vote buying, at (and) intimidation and everything that would put a hindrance to an honest election,” he added.
In his remarks at the Summit for Democracy on Friday, Duterte stated that his administration will secure “honest, peaceful, credible, and free elections” even as work continues in the remaining months of his tenure.
Highest honor to turn over power
He noted that when he steps down in June 2022, it will be his “highest honor” to turn over authority to his successor knowing that he did his “best” to serve the Filipino people.
Duterte reiterated the Philippines’ proud distinction as the first-ever republic and oldest democracy in Asia, noting that it remains a “vibrant democracy” and “an open and diverse society” to this day.
He went on to say that while the country’s democracy is “far from perfect”, it is still a “work in progress”.
“I am proud to be at this Summit for Democracy to tell you about the Philippine experience. Philippine democracy is indeed a work in progress. But the Filipino is free. The Philippines is free,” he said.
‘Good friends’
Meanwhile, Duterte reaffirmed that he still considers China to be a “good friend”, despite the fact that some do not share his sentiments.
“I’d like to remind everybody that when everything was down for us, it was China…for whatever really is masabi nila (they say) about the relations of the Philippines and China, I would maintain that we are good friends and they were the first one to give us the vaccines,” he said.
However, he clarified that the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea would not be jeopardized, even if China is a friend of the country.
“Iyong issue diyan sa West Philippine Sea ibang issue ‘yan at ibang issue itong pagkakaibigan natin sa kanila (Our friendship with them is one issue, but the issue there in the West Philippine Sea is different issue),” he added.
More than half of the countries in the world, including the Philippines, were invited to the Summit for Democracy, while the rest were not.
China, Russia, Hungary, Egypt, and Turkey are among the countries that were left out.
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