LISTEN: Duterte’s 1st interview as apparent winner in 2016 polls

MANILA, Philippines – On election day last year, May 9, the lead of then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the presidential race was wide enough to predict his victory as early as two hours after the precincts closed nationwide. 

At around 7 pm, 87% of the precincts had transmitted their results, and it showed that more than 39% of the votes in the  5-way contest had gone to him. (That lead would be sustained until, by dawn the following day, it was already insurmountable.) 

At that moment that it became evident Duterte would walk away with the election, Rappler interviewed him via phone patch. He was at the Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao, while we were at the Rappler headquarters in Pasig City on our marathon coverage of the polls. It was his first interview as poll front runner.

How was he taking the favorable results, we asked.

“Well, I take it in stride. I would not be led to believe that I’m winning, although the trend there is very clear. But as what I’ve been doing in the past, it’s always a 50-50 proposition. Hanggang the last vote po ay hindi pa nabilang (Until the last vote is not counted), I am not there until I’m there. Hindi ako nakikinig sa mga (I don’t listen to) statistics or surveys, even the counting,” he told Rappler. 

“I need to rest. I do not invest emotions over things beyond your control. Hindi ko naman kontrolado kung talagang manalo ako o hindi (I’m not in control of whether I’ll win or not), I’ll just keep quiet, go to the mountains – may bahay ako sa bukid (I have a house on the farm). At anytime, ‘pag punta ko roon (when I go there), I’ll take a good rest, sleep it off, ‘yung worries mo,” he continued. 

Listen to the 24-minute interview, where he discussed the urgent problems confronting the country, and how he intended to keep his campaign promises of solving them. He also vowed to “work closely” with whoever would win as vice president, and called for unity among the former rivals in the elections. – Rappler.com