(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte turns 77 years old today, Monday, March 28, with a wish that the upcoming May 9 elections would be “clean, fair, and honest.”
The Philippine leader, the oldest president to be elected in office last 2016 at the age of 71, will be spending his birthday in Davao City, according to the Palace.
“President Duterte will mark the occasion with a simple and quiet celebration in Davao City, in line with his family’s tradition,” said acting presidential spokesperson Secretary Martin Andanar.
The President has made it a point to celebrate his birthday quietly in Davao City, except for his 75th birthday which he had to spend alone in Malacanang, at the height of Covid-19 restrictions.
“His birthday wish for this year is to have a clean, fair, and honest election in May 2022, as he has time and again underscored the importance of a peaceful transfer of power as part of his enduring legacy,” Andanar said in a press statement.
-Duterte says he has fulfilled campaign promises-
Duterte said he was looking forward to turning over the leadership of the country to his successor in June, and said he had tried his best to fulfill his campaign promises which includes waging war against crime, corruption, and illegal drugs.
He had also vowed to end the communist insurgency, but had since expressed frustration with the communist leaders led by his former professor Joma Sison. He had since urged NPA members, communist rebels, to give up their arms and be productive members of society again, giving them housing and jobs.
Duterte said he had even increased participation of Filipino Muslim leaders in the government through their appointment in key government positions, and through the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
He had also increased salaries of teachers, policemen and soldiers, and addressed the need for more infrastructure projects and health care.
“I’ve fulfilled all the promises I made during my campaign, like the Universal Health Care. Now when you go to the hospital, all you need to do is go to the — there’s a staff waiting there to — you don’t need to go to the pharmacy to buy medicines, you can get it there instead,” he said in an earlier speech.
Duterte said he had already started packing his belongings in the Palace, looking forward to retiring peacefully in June.
-Palace’s bday wishes for Duterte: good health, long life –
The Palace spokesperson expressed his gratitude for Duterte on his birthday today.
“We join all our countrymen in wishing our beloved President Rodrigo Roa Duterte a happy 77th birthday on March 28,” Andanar said.
“We express our sincere gratitude to the Chief Executive whose strong and decisive leadership and genuine compassion for every Filipino have inspired officials in government and have resulted in positive and meaningful change to the lives of a great number of our people,” he said.
“Our prayer for the Almighty is to continue giving the President good physical and mental health in the years to come so he may carry on serving the interest of and bringing betterment to the lives of Filipinos,” Andanar added.
(Eagle News Service)