MANILA, Philippines – Speaking at length about how his 3 eldest children are running for Davao City’s highest posts, President Rodrigo Duterte said his family cannot help but be a political dynasty because its members are “forced” to run.

“Ayaw ko ng (I don’t want a) dynasty, but we are forced,” he said on Thursday, October 18, during the 44th Philippine Business Conference and Expo in Manila.

Duterte, Davao City’s longest serving mayor, said he felt compelled to get his daughter Sara Duterte Carpio to run for mayor for the good of the city.

“Ako, ayaw ko na (Me, I don’t want it). I‟m 73 years old. But ako, I could not see Davao go back in shambles. So I insisted on my daughter kasi kaya niya (because she can do it),” he said.

He told those critical of political dynasties to conduct a survey on how Davaoeños view dynasties. What they will find might surprise them, said the President.

“Go to Davao and conduct a survey. Ask the people. Because the barangay captains won’t campaign for people they don’t support,” he said in Filipino.

“Usually, ‘pag naumpisahan ng isa, tuloy-tuloy na ‘yan kasi hingiin ng mga tao maya (Usually, when one starts it, it continues from there because the people ask for them). That’s politics,” said Duterte.

Sara, Pulong, Baste

He spent a portion of his speech talking about his 3 eldest children vying for Davao local posts. Paolo is running for 1st District congressman, Sara is seeking reelection as mayor, while Sebastian is running for vice mayor.

Duterte claimed Sara forced her younger brother to be her running mate. This is Sebastian or Baste’s first time to run for a government post.

“Pinilit niya itong ano ngayon bunso, si Sebastian. Walang ginawa ‘yan sa buhay, mabuti mayroon na siguro kung i-vice mayor niya,” said Duterte.

(She forced the youngest, Sebastian. He does nothing in life, so maybe there’ll be something to keep him busy if he runs for vice mayor.)

As for Paolo, Duterte said his eldest son resigned as vice mayor last Christmas for two reasons.

“He resigned as mayor in disgust because of his daughter. ‘Yung picture (her picture) inside Malacañang Palace, parang napahiya siya. ‘Resign na lang ako, ‘Pa’ (He was embarrassed about that picture in Malacañang, so he said, ‘I’ll just resign, ‘Pa). Then, plus ‘yung pinatawag sila ni (when he was called to the Senate by) Trillanes,” said the President.

He then castigated members of Congress for only calling persons to hearings to humiliate them.

“You shame people, you humiliate them, you shout at them. Then after that, nothing. It’s all show. It’s all show…. If there was a legal case, then there’s a mitigating thing if it happens to be true,” he said. – Rappler.com