DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said on Friday, May 10, that he wanted equal representation for the city’s minority ethnic groups to hear their voices and to ensure stability and development.
Addressing the Hugpong ng Pagbabag-Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HNP-HTL) miting de avance of Davao City’s first district, President Duterte suggested that there must be at least one Moro representative for every district of the city’s three districts.
Lumads in the city must also have similar representation in the government.
President Duterte also urged Davao City Mayor Sara “Inday” Duterte to ensure that the Lumads and Moros will have a representative in the city’s local leadership.
“Give our brothers and sisters a chance to lead. The Moros and Lumads need to be given importance. They shouldn’t be viewed as marginalized sectors. They must have a voice to be able to tell the truth and what is in their heart,” he said.
During his tenure as Davao City mayor, he said he worked hard to make the city peaceful and orderly for the benefit of future leaders and the city’s population.
“I worked hard so that you won’t find it difficult anymore when you become mayor. The only thing left for you to do is work hard,” he explained.
He then called on local leaders to be united in their efforts to fight drugs and corruption in government, saying that maintaining peace and order must be everybody’s collective obligation.
“If the mayor and police director will not allow it, there will be no corruption and other crimes. That’s the truth there,” he noted.
Ignoring some sectors and allowing them to remain marginalized create discontent and instability, he said.
“If you bomb the church because you are angry and people die because of it, a mosque will be bombed, too. So, if you keep on doing that, the conflict will not end and there will be no hope for peace. And Davao will not be able to move,” he continued.
Effective leadership, coupled with a generally peaceful environment, allowed Davao City to progress over the years, the President said, noting the city is now number one in property development. According to him, land prices in Davao are now as expensive as those in Manila.
Moreover, the President commended Hugpong ng Pagbabago for being the leading political party in Davao and Mindanao for a long time and urged the citizens to vote wisely during the election on Monday and to continue supporting their leaders.
“The leading political party in Mindanao is the Hugpong [ng Pagbabago]. This coming elections, choose your leaders wisely,” he said. PND
