Caravan calling Duterte to run gaining ground – PDP Laban exec

KIDAPAWAN CITIY -The caravan dubbed as Run Duterte Run in 2016 kicked off here on Sunday with much expectation it will gain ground and support from people in Mindanao, thus, convince Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte to run in next year’s presidential elections. Mike Hueno, former officer-in-charge Governor of South Cotabato and national chair of PDP-Laban, said Duterte -- if he will accept the challenge, would become the firstMindanaonto run in the presidency. Hueno considered the campaign, Run Duterte Run”, as peoples’ cries. The PDP Laban spearheads the activity. Sukad-sukad wa pa’y presidente ang Mindanao.Sukad-sukad sige ta’g problema sa insurgency.Murag ginakataw-an lang ta. Gipasagdan ta sa atung problema(Ever since, there was no president [who came] from Mindanao.Ever since, we’ve been faced with insurgency.It seems they [the leaders in Luzon] just laughed at our problems,” Hueno said. For Hueno, Duterte, aside from being a Mindanaon, has qualifications to become president. Hueno expressed belief that their caravan can convince Duterte to really seek presidency in 2016. The caravan started in Davao City and has already moved to several key cities in Mindanao, including Cotabato City, Kidapawan City, Iligan City, and Cagayan de Oro City. I am very passionate about this… that only a Mindanaon can solve the problems of Mindanao,” he stressed. According to Hueno, the campaign started in March 2014 few weeks after the PDP-Laban officials met with Duterte in Davao City. They were, at first, hesitant to discuss the plan with the so-called iron man of Mindanao because of the mayor’s earlier pronouncements that he would shoot those who would push for his candidacy as president in 2016. Kinsa ma’y laing taga-Mindanao nga makita nimo nga may qualification mag-Presidente? Wa na’y lain. Wa ka naluoy. Ingon niya, ‘Bitaw, no?’Unya og ako’y ma-Presidente, mao ni’ng ako’ng himoon. So, siya na nisulti about running as president.[Are there other people in Mindanao who have qualifications to become President?There is none.I asked him, 'Don’t you pity Mindanao?'And he said, 'Yeah, right.If I become President, I will do this, I will do that.’So it was he who talked about running as president,” Hueno recounted during his initial talks with Duterte in 2014. The campaign, according to Hueno, has gained support from several groups, including that from the New Peoples’ Army (NPA) and other rebel groups. In Central Mindanao and in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, in particular, he said they tapped well-meaning individuals, even from the ranks of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), to support them in their campaign. With this, we believe we can’t go wrong with our campaign,” he stressed.