MANILA, Philippines - Taking his oath yesterday, the first expression of thanks from Rodrigo Duterte went not to the people who voted for him, but to former president Fidel Ramos.
“Sir, thank you for your help in making me president,” Duterte told Ramos, who was seated in the front row of the audience of over 600. Duterte was seated beside Ramos before he was called to the stage to take his oath as the 16th president of the Republic.
However, exactly what Ramos’ contribution to the presidential bid of Duterte was could not be ascertained, since the former president did not openly endorse the long-time Davao City mayor.
But Duterte was noted to have visited Ramos in his office in Makati once or twice before he decided to run for president in the last elections.
Duterte was accompanied by known Ramos allies like Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza as well as incoming Speaker Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and his brother, former presidential assistant for Mindanao Paul Dominguez.