In his inauguration speech on Thu, Jun 30, President Rodrigo Duterte restated that his goal as the country’s 16th president is to effect real change in society.
Duterte acknowledged, “No leader, however strong, can succeed at anything of national importance or significance unless you have the support and cooperation of the people he is tasked to lead.”
Unlike his statements during the election campaign which seemed to support extra-judicial killings of criminals, he assured the country that he would follow the law. He stated, “My adherence to due process and rule of law is uncompromising. You mind your work and I will mind mine.”
The President likewise reminded the public to prioritize the common good and show concern for the helpless and impoverished. “That change, if it is to be permanent and significant, must start with us and in us. To borrow the words of F. Sionil Jose: ‘We have become our own worst enemies and we must have the courage and will to change ourselves,'” he said.
But the statement that probably stood out most in Duterte’s speech was this: “The ride will be rough but come join me just the same.”
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