Federalism advocacy
Main article:
Federalism in the Philippines
In September 2014, Duterte and former mayors and governors, calling themselves the Mindanao
Council of Leaders, advocated for a federalist government.
[79]
A month later, Duterte attended an
event sponsored by the Federal Movement for a Better Philippines in
Cebu City
.
[80]
In December
2014, Duterte held a summit entitled "Mindanaons Forging Unity Toward a Federal System of
Government".
[81]
2016 presidential campaign
Main article:
2016 Philippine presidential election
See also:
Rodrigo Duterte presidential campaign, 2016
Duterte–Cayetano 2016 campaign logo
Duterte and allies campaigning in Pandacan, Manila
As early as the first quarter of 2015, Duterte made hints to the media of his intention to run for
president in the 2016 elections. However, he denied these plans numerous times amidst clamor from
his supporters for him to run.
In January, Duterte said he would abolish Congress if he chose to run for President and was elected.
[82]
On November 21, in a private gathering with fraternity brothers from
San Beda College of Law
,
Duterte formally announced his presidential bid and also finally accepted
Alan Peter Cayetano
's offer
to be his running mate, and named his daughter, Sara Duterte, as his substitute for Mayor.
[83]
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In his campaign, he said he would introduce a federal parliamentary form of government. He also
promised to kill tens of thousands of criminals and eradicate crime in six months.
[85]
[86]
Constitutional reform
Rodrigo Duterte campaigned for
decentralization
and a shift to federal government during the 2016
presidential election. In an October 2014 forum organized by
Federal Movement for a Better
Philippines
in
Cebu City
prior to joining the presidential race, the then-mayor of Davao City called for
the creation of two federal states for
Moro people
as a solution to the problems besetting
Mindanao
.
[87]
Mayor Duterte said that
Nur Misuari
and his
Moro National Liberation Front
don't see eye-to-eye
with the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
which the administration of President
Benigno Aquino III
had
inked a peace deal with. He also said that the "template of the
Bangsamoro Basic Law
is federal",
but what is granted to the Bangsamoro should also be granted to other Moro groups and other
regions in the country.
[88]
In a dialogue with the
Makati Business Club
prior to the elections, Duterte
said he is open to "toning down the Constitution" to accommodate more foreign investors to the
Philippines.
[89]
He also said he is open to up to 70 percent foreign ownership of businesses in the
country and foreign lease of lands up to 60 years, but will "leave it to Congress to decide".
[89]
Rape comments
Further information:
Rodrigo Duterte presidential campaign, 2016 §
Rape of an Australian
missionary
At a campaign rally on April 12, 2016, Duterte told supporters that, as Mayor, he thought he "should
have been first" to rape Jacqueline Hamill, an Australian missionary who was
gang-raped
and killed
during the
1989 Davao hostage crisis
. He recalled examining her corpse concluding that she was
raped but also remarked that he "should have gone first".
