DAVAO CITY – This city’s mayor, Sara Duterte-Carpio stuck to her word of finishing her third and final term as mayor when she filed her certificate for mayoral candidacy last Saturday but supporters cast a last, and final hope that she would still yield to their appeal by taking the route of substitution of candidate, the last day of which would be on November 15.
On a post on early afternoon at her official Facebook page, she said “I am presenting myself to the Dabawenyos as Mayor for the third and last time in my life as a politician”.
“I have been honored with the gift of trust and respect of many of our fellow Filipinos. A gift that is one in a million,” she said.
She expressed her thanks to that support despite “many of you [who[ do not know me and yet you carry me over your shoulders”.
In turning down the appeal, she only said that “like the other millions of Filipinos, I share with you the same goal of living a peaceful and prosperous life in our country, today and in the many years to come”.
“I call on everyone to work together for an honest, orderly and credible elections in May 2022,” she said.
Her whereabouts could not be ascertained, with insiders in her camp saying it was for security reason.