‘Cebuano’ Duterte, ready to bow out

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and his family from Facebook page I am Cebuano.

PRESIDENT DUTERTE, who claims to be a Cebuano, has promised to put things in order, especially the country’s economy following the crippling effects of the Covid-19.

“I will make my exit but I will also place things in order. Kung may awa ang Diyos and if everything at the rate that we're going, everything is going to appear to be rosy. And I hope it would be so that I can go out — para akong tatay, paglabas ko sa bahay ko, ‘yung mga anak ko ayos na, gumaling na, at wala na masyadong problema, wala ng lagnat at wala nang mamamatay. Iyon ang gusto ko at gagawain ko lahat,” he said.

With his sights on the economy, Duterte said he would throw his support to the Department of Finance once the go ahead is given to open the economy. And the good thing, he said, is that the country’s credit ratings remain favorable, giving it sufficient elbow room to maneuver in terms of sourcing funds.

“But what is really very telling is that until now, ‘yung grade natin is BBB sa ratings sa Fitch. Ibig sabihin ang BBB, puwede pa tayong maghiram at marami pang magpahiram. ‘Pag ‘yan ang rating mo BBB, we are still capable of borrowing,” Duterte said, referring to the Standard & Poor’s and Fitch scale. BBB Good credit quality - ‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

Duterte also expressed his gratitude to the people for their continued support and faith in him. “And it might be a redundant or a repetitious word or words that you may hear from all mga kandidato pati kami mga officials. Pero I can — on my honor as President, talagang ginawa ko ‘yung trabaho ko at wala ho akong ginawang kalokohan,” he said.

“I’m still the sitting President and anybody can — kung ano may masabi ba sila, especially about matters which ought not to be done by an officer of government, especially those who are elected because we have always strived — your success or failure would depend on the support of the people,” he added.

Duterte, who previously visited Cebu, said his roots are from Cebu, although he was born on March 28, 1945, in Maasin, Southern Leyte. But his father, Vicente Duterte (1911–1968), a Cebuano lawyer, and his mother, Soledad Duterte (1916–2012), was a schoolteacher from Cabadbaran town in Agusan del Sur and a civic leader of Maranao descent.

Duterte also claimed that his grandfather was Chinese and hailed from Xiamen in Fujian province. Duterte’s father was mayor of Danao, Cebu, and subsequently the provincial governor of (the then-undivided) Davao province.

Duterte’s cousin Ronald was mayor of Cebu City from 1983 to 1986. Ronald's father, Ramon Duterte, also held that position from 1957 to 1959. The Dutertes consider the Cebu-based political families of the Durano and the Almendras clan as relatives.

Duterte also has relatives from the Roa clan in Leyte through his mother’s side. Duterte's family lived in Maasin, and in his father's hometown in Danao, until he was four years old. The Dutertes initially moved to Mindanao in 1948 but still went back and forth to the Visayas until 1949 and they finally settled in the Davao Region in 1950. (Cebu Examiner)