Davaoeños pack Duterte’s inaugural

MANILA, Philippines - The time has come for Mindanaoans to stand out.

For the first time in Philippine history, only a few from the country’s wealthiest attended the inauguration of President Duterte yesterday – an event which appeared to have been overshadowed by mostly Davao-based personalities and businessmen.

The crowd of more than 600 at the Rizal Hall at the Palace who waved to the cameras of Radio-TV Malacañang were mostly new faces, save for some businessmen like Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Ramon Ang and Alfredo Yao.

The hall at the second floor was packed with Davaoeños.

From the Philippine International Convention Center grounds in Pasay City where they all took their breakfast along with the President, they were brought to Malacañang by around 10 buses.

Duterte’s inauguration was also attended by two former presidents – Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada – who were joined by Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. who came from the inauguration of Vice President Leni Robredo in Quezon City.

Duterte has repeatedly stated that he hardly has friends in high society, pointing out that his sphere of influence has been mostly limited to his constituency in Davao City, where he served as mayor for more than two decades.

Also present were incoming Senate president Aquino Pimentel III and his father, former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., incoming speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his sister, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos.

Senator Pimentel – a partymate of Duterte in PDP-Laban, now the country’s ruling party – was seen shaking hands with his former political rival, now re-elected senator Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Duterte’s former runningmate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, and his sister, former senator and now Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, were also present, along with their Nacionalista Party bosses – former Senate president Manny Villar and his wife, Sen. Cynthia Villar.

Their son, incoming Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, was also in attendance.

Papal Nuncio Archbishop Guiseppe Pinto, the dean of the diplomatic corps, was also spotted along with US Ambassador Philip Goldberg and Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua, among others.

Justices of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno also attended the occasion.

Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes administered the oath to Duterte.

Reyes was a fraternity brother of the President in Lex Talionis at the San Beda College of Law.

Among the media personalities present were The STAR’s Carmen Pedrosa and Joanne Rae Ramirez, ABS-CBN anchor Anthony Taberna and close friend Alan Encarnacion, and newly appointed Press Secretary Martin Andanar, formerly of TV-5.

Duterte, the country’s first Mindanaoan president, broke tradition in the once in six years inaugural, where Drilon read the joint resolution of the Senate and the House of Representatives, following his refusal to attend his congressional proclamation.

Reyes administered the oath to Duterte at exactly noon, in keeping with the 1987 Constitution.

The oath was administered in English, given the new Chief Executive’s difficulty in speaking Filipino.

In turn, Duterte then administered the oath of office en masse to all the members of his Cabinet and other presidential appointees, without the traditional photo opportunity with their respective families.

Together again

Meanwhile, all is well again with Duterte and international evangelist Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ the Name Above Every Name as the two met in yesterday’s inaugural ceremony at Malacañang.

Duterte extended the invitation to Quiboloy last Sunday while the evangelist was in Hong Kong for a thanksgiving and prayer presentation with his flock there. 

Quiboloy accepted Duterte’s invitation and flew to Manila early yesterday. 

The last time the two met was last May 9 shortly after the closing of election hours.

Duterte went straight to Quiboloy’s central headquarters along Diversion Road in Davao City for dinner and guested in the live election coverage of the pastor’s Sonshine Media Network Inc.

A little misunderstanding later ensued between the two after Quiboloy said he could no no longer get through to Duterte.

The two had been close friends for more than three decades, sharing the same passion for big bikes and guns.

Quiboloy had been telling people about his dream 18 years ago wherein they were brought by helicopter to Malacañang grounds where they played golf.   – With Edith Regalado