DAVAO CITY, Philippines—There are few and far between times when tough-talking Mayor Rodrigo Duterte would just shut up. An encounter with officials in Cotabato City on Wednesday was one of those times. He was virtually speechless.

Duterte was preparing to leave the stage after speaking about “federalism” before hundreds of local leaders and residents of Cotabato on Wednesday when lawyer Ranibai Dilangalen took the microphone and asked the mayor to stay for a while.

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Dilangalen, a member of the Duterte for President Movement-Cotabato City and Maguindanao chapter, then announced: “Mayor President, we will officially start today our small effort to help you and the country. We will launch the ‘Piso para sa Presidente’ (Peso for President).”

Then, Mohamad Ali Datumanguda, another member of the group, presented Duterte a small handwoven basket filled with P1 coins.

For a moment, Duterte froze, his face red and tears welling in his eyes.

After staring at the crowd, he approached the podium and said: “I don’t know what to say. I am really, really surprised. Thank you for having me here. The presidency is not in my plans, but if I become President, I assure you, one of your feet is in Malacañang.”

Target: P10 billion

Duterte has repeatedly said that he is not running because he does not have the financial capability to run a presidential campaign.

Launching the “Piso para sa Presidente” campaign, Datumanguda said his group would start passing the “bayong” (native bags) in Moro communities to gather P1 donations from the villagers and hopefully collect P10 billion he said would be needed—initially, at least—for the presidential campaign expenses.

An old man who joined the crowd at the gymnasium of Cotabato Polytechnic State University took out coins from his pocket and counted P8.

“My fare back home is P7. I can still contribute P1 for Duterte,” the old man said.

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From Mindanao to Manila

Datumanguda said the basket, which contained a little over P100 in coins, was “just a symbol” of what they would do to raise funds for Duterte’s campaign.

“Piso para sa Presidente will move from Cotabato City to Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. It will then be moved to the Visayas, Luzon and Metro Manila, in the hope that we can raise funds for Mayor Duterte,” Datumanguda said.

Duterte’s camp said it did not know about such a project.

Nur Misuari

During the symposium, Duterte said that he was not against the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), contrary to what other people were thinking, after he issued statements warning the administration of President Aquino not to railroad the legislation that would create the new political entity.

“I am for the BBL, but we need to scrutinize some provisions because I do not want you to be frustrated,” Duterte said.

The mayor said he was communicating with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding leader Nur Misuari and that Misuari should be considered in the peace process because he was instrumental in the signing of the Tripoli Agreement, which led to the establishment of a Muslim autonomy region in Mindanao.

“Misuari should see the draft,” Duterte said, adding no one should be left behind in the peace process, including the sultanates.

The mayor is pushing for a shift to federalism in the government structure, asserting that the people of Mindanao should be given a chance to decide their future.

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