Legitimate Leader?

by Julia Patricia C. Belleza

Copyrights to Trending News Portal
http://www.trendingnewsportal.com/2015/06/online-survey-who-is-your-16th-president-of-the-philippines.html

With the 2016 elections coming up, all eyes, ears, and microphones are directed at the several candidates for the Philippine presidency. Each with their own scandals, and comments it's no surprise when interviews, biological backgrounds, and the like can cause such a slander to an individual's name and preference in polls. In this post, I tackle the tough talking Davao City Mayor, Rodrigo Duterte, and his three disqualification cases. 

Copyrights to Philippine News
http://philnews.ph/2015/08/29/watch-mayor-duterte-declared
-running-for-president-in-the-2016-elections/

Despite proving his competency in cleaning up Davao with his strong personality and his controversial methods, Multiple Filipino citizens fear his living up to the expectations and duties a man in presidency requires. He has made it very clear that he wishes for a dictator-like regime if he were to win the election and that his ideals will not be swayed by influences other than himself and what he thinks is best. His comments on diplomacy, among others, are have caused a stir for Filipinos around the world 

It is clear and of the utmost evidence that there are netizens who completely agree with his terms and how he says he is to handle public office, if the opportunity were to be given and netizens who think his methods are too egocentric and oxymoronic to make any sense for how a potential president is to use his power among others. 

Copyrights to the Dollar for Duterte Movement
http://me-thing.blogspot.com/2015/06/rodrigo-duterte-for-president.html

The first disqualification case was filed last December 2015 by Ruben Castor, a broadcaster, stating that Rodrigo Duterte was not in any place to substitute for Martin Diño because the COC of Diño was void and legally inexistent. In the same month, Duterte was subjected to yet another disqualification case by Rizalito David, who had also previously filed a DQ case for another presidential candidate, Grace Poe. The 9 page petition was based on the technicality that the Davao City Mayor did not submit his papers on the deadline of October 19 and that politicians like Duterte and Poe are given priority by the COMELEC because of their names while other "smaller" candidates like him, who do not have the same privilege, are barred from elections such as these because they do not have the same amount of funds to run a campaign successfully.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2015/08/26/davao-wants-duterte-2016-survey-426820

Less than a week after, a third disqualification case filed by student leader, John Paulo delas Nievas, from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. His reasons were similar to that of Ruben Castor's stating that his substitution to Martin Diño is not acceptable, with the added speculation of Duterte's alleged misrepresentation in his COC while swearing to uphold the Constitution. It was revealed last January 2016 that delas Nievas had been receiving death wishes over the internet because of his entering a DQ case against Duterte. Netizens have gone to the point of sending rape threats to his girlfriend as well. the UP, Diliman Student Council Chairperson believes this is happening because the message Duterte sends across his advertisements during his campaign are about instilling fear in his victims and outright saying that he would kill them, personally. 

A week into the new year, COMELEC issued a report regarding the disqualification cases opposing Duterte's candidacy for this years presidential elections. Statements saying that most complaints were one and the same in agreeing that he had no right to be an aspirant for the position because he substituted for a politician who's candidacy was null and void. It has not yet been decided whether these charges will be dismissed or whether they will cost the hopeful his candidacy. While other accusations are being investigated, Duterte had made the decision not to join in the presidential debates unless he is formally announced as a candidate. "If I go there and they later disqualify me, that would make me look like a fool," said Duterte to reporters when asked for a comment about his attendance during the event. 

http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/
119149-duterte-roxas-lead-rappler-december-sms-facebook-
online-polls

But, love him or hate him, the fact cannot be denied that Duterte is making headlines and has a likely chance of becoming the next president of the Philippines.

Below is Davao city mayor, Rodrigo Duterte, and his interview for Wanted President.