Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday appealed to the Filipino people to support the new administration under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who was sworn into office yesterday.
Duterte made the call before leaving Malacanang for the last time as Chief Executive, following his stunning victory in the 2016 national elections.
The tough-talking former mayor of Davao did not attend the inauguration of Marcos at the National Museum in Manila but expressed his willingness to offer advice to his successor.
“Let us give all our support to the new administration. Let us help them. Let us help Marcos,” he said in a video taken by former Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.
Duterte, whose term ended at noon Thursday, also praised his Cabinet as “one of the best.”
“I am a student of government. I have been in the government for so long. I assembled one of the best Cabinets ever,” he said.
“Totoong-totoo ‘yan. Piling pili ko [That is the truth. I chose them carefully],” Duterte added.
Duterte was later seen shopping and having lunch at a mall in Makati City after leaving the Palace, then boarded a commercial flight hours later to his hometown of Davao City, where he grew his profile as mayor for over two decades.
Duterte was accompanied by members of the Presidential Security Group, and was expected to show up at a homecoming concert held in his honor at the NCCC VP grounds in Davao in the evening.
