By Billy BegasBy Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte made a surprise appearance during the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL) campaign rally at the Royal Valley gym in Bangkal, Barangay Talomo Proper last Friday night. Duterte reaffirmed his commitment to the HTL party and dismissed criticisms of his absence from earlier campaign activities after his father was brought to the Hague, Netherlands. “Thank you so much for your support, and tell them that I’m just here on Earth, not on Mars. Everything they said against me—I can hear it, and I’ll respond in time,” Duterte said in the local dialect. The lawmaker has expressed disappointment with the Marcos administration and his father’s situation and took a swipe at his political rivals. Duterte also stressed that his district office remains operational and open to help his constituents. “We made sure that we have the right system in place, so we can still provide help even during times when I am not physically present, especially now that my family needs me,” he said. “I sincerely thank all of you for your unwavering support, especially for our father, Rody Duterte. Thank you so much for your support. Everything you did for his birthday reached him,” Duterte added. Duterte also joked about the limitations of his campaign messaging, saying he even brought a lawyer for advice. “I can’t curse, I can’t insult my opponents, I can’t do acrobatics or dance. Maybe I should just act cute instead,” he said. The solon urged his supporters to vote straight for the PDP-Laban senatorial candidates, including former Senator Gregorio Honasan II, retired Colonel Ariel Querubin, and the Pwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat (PPP) party-list. Related Posts Read Full Story
