Duterte likely to assure world leaders of peaceful transition

President Duterte will likely assure world leaders in the Summit for Democracy hosted by US President Joe Biden that there will be a peaceful transition of power in the Philippines when his term ends in 2022.

Undersecretary Robert Borje, the Chief of Presidential Protocol and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs, made the announcement ahead of the virtual summit among world leaders and private partners.

"An important component here is that the President's term is about to end. And in the context of democracy, a democracy cannot be strong if there's no peaceful and regular transfer of power," Borje said on state-run PTV.

"And I think this will figure very strongly and very prominently in the speech of the President," he added.

"It's an admission on the part of the President, and maybe re-affirmation of his strong belief, that it is his responsibility first and foremost bilang Pangulo na siguraduhin na may peaceful transition," Borje said.

"Dahil 'pag wala nito, hindi tayo matatawag na demokrasya. Ibig sabihin, authoritarian tayo ," he added.

[As President, his first responsibility is to ensure peaceful transition of power because otherwise, we cannot be called democracy and we're authoritarian.]

Borje said that a democracy should have peaceful, honest, free, and credible elections.

"Otherwise, it calls into question the integrity of the electoral process and democracy," Borje said.

Based on the schedule provided by the US State Department, Duterte is not scheduled to speak during the two-day Summit for Democracy on December 9 and 10 (December 10 and 11 Manila Time).

Duterte's term as President ends on June 30, 2022.

He is seeking a Senate seat in the May 9, 2022 polls under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan party. -NB, GMA News