Duterte won’t debate with No. 4 Roxas: ‘Mag-No. 2 muna siya sa survey’

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said a debate with co-presidential aspirant and administration bet Manuel Roxas II would only make sense if the latter improves his rankings in surveys, a report on “24 Oras” said.

In the report, the tough-talking mayor pointed Roxas only ranked fourth in a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, and that a debate would only be worthwhile if the administration bet moved up to second place.

Duterte, who topped that survey said, “Ayoko, mayabang siya. He wants to … eh number four siya, mag-number two muna siya sa survey.”

Roxas has yet to comment on Duterte’s remark, but Daang Matuwid Coalition Spokesman Rep. Barry Gutierrez said the crack did not come as a suprise given that the Davao mayor has always been indecisive.

“Ganyan naman si Mayor eh, ang daming palusot. Hahamon tapos aatras. Kung takot siya sa debate aminin na lang niya,” he said.

On Friday, Roxas welcomed the Comelec’s decision to formally allow Duterte’s filing of his certificate of candidacy for president and challenged the PDP-Laban standard-bearer to a debate.

“E ‘di good … ngayon magdebate na kami tungkol sa saan natin dadalhin ang bansa. Hindi ko siya aatrasan, anytime. Ngayon na, gawin na natin ngayon mamaya magbago ang isip niya,” Roxas said.

Roxas and Duterte have been in embroiled in a word-war that has since been growing in intensity, starting with slapping macth provocation to a fistfight and to a gun duel.

The verbal tussle had prompted former President Fidel V. Ramos to make a remark, saying that the next Philippine president should exhibit world-class qualities of a leader.

gmanetwork.com