DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Rodrigo Duterte, fond of giving hour-long speeches, promised he would give only a 5-minute speech on the day of his inauguration.

After taking his oath as the 16th Philippine president, Duterte plans to “go nationwide on TV and I will just spell out my governance in 5 minutes,” he said during a press conference on Monday, May 23.

Reporters couldn’t help but laugh at Duterte’s promise having had experience listening to his long speeches during the campaign season.

But Duterte said there would be no need for his long speeches since he would have Cabinet secretaries to explain his administration’s policies on their respective fields of interest. 

The president-elect revealed more of his plan for the June 30 event. 

He wants his oath-taking to happen in the Office of the President in Malacañang Palace “kasi walang gastos” (because we won’t need to spend). (READ: Duterte: Why wouldn’t you cooperate? What would you get?)

Though he was told the venue can accommodate 500 people, he intends to “keep it to as low as 150 [people],” he said.

Since the oath-taking will happen around “noon”, he would have fingerfood served to waiting guests. These guests will be mostly members of the diplomatic corps, generals, and his family members.

Duterte said he is not aware of any plans to hold a similar event in Davao City. City government staff have told Rappler that a June 29 event for incoming Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, the president-elect’s children, may be held.

Duterte is not aware of these plans and knows only that his children’s oath-taking cannot happen on June 29 because he would still be mayor at that time.

“There cannot be two mayors at any given time,” he said.

Metro Manila won’t be seeing Duterte anytime soon, it seems.

“I’ll go there on the day of my oath of office, not before,” Duterte told media. He plans to take a commercial flight to Manila.

“‘Pag na-delay ‘yung flight, walang oath-taking (If the flight is delayed, no oath-taking),” he joked.

Duterte does not even plan to attend the National Board of Canvassers’ proclamation of winners in Congress.

“No, I will not [attend]. Ayaw ko. Bakit ako magpunta doon, para lang ma-proclaim sino nanalo? (I don’t want to. Why will I go there, just to be proclaimed as winner?),” he said. – Rappler.com