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Duterte neglects to turn up for own proclamation as President

MANILA — The Philippine parliament on Monday (May 30) proclaimed Rodrigo Duterte the nation’s next president following his landslide election win this month, but he snubbed the high-profile event.

Philippine Senate president Frank Drilon (L) and House speaker Feliciano Belmonte (3rd L) raise the hands of vice president-elect Leni Robredo (2nd L) as Robredo's daughters Jessica Marie (3rd R), Janine Patricia (2nd R), and Jillian Therese (R) look on during Robredo's proclamation as vice president at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives in Manila on May 30, 2016. Rodrigo Duterte, the nation's next president, snubbed the high-profile event. Photo: AFP

Philippine Senate president Frank Drilon (L) and House speaker Feliciano Belmonte (3rd L) raise the hands of vice president-elect Leni Robredo (2nd L) as Robredo's daughters Jessica Marie (3rd R), Janine Patricia (2nd R), and Jillian Therese (R) look on during Robredo's proclamation as vice president at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives in Manila on May 30, 2016. Rodrigo Duterte, the nation's next president, snubbed the high-profile event. Photo: AFP

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MANILA — Mr Rodrigo Duterte snubbed his proclamation as the next Philippine President on Monday (May 30), reinforcing his image as a maverick intent on challenging the political establishment.

A joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate in Manila endorsed the official count of this month’s election, which saw the brash politician win by more than six million votes.

Mr Duterte declined to attend the nationally televised event, preferring to remain more than 900km away in his southern hometown of Davao which he has ruled as mayor for most of the past two decades and he admits is his comfort zone. “I am not attending the proclamation. I’ve never attended any proclamation (in) all my life,” said Mr Duterte, 71, who will be sworn into office on June 30, to reporters.

In anti-climactic scenes, the House Speaker congratulated Mr Duterte and, with no-one there to accept, the Senate President quietly declared the session over.

Since the elections, Mr Duterte has refused to travel to Manila and promised to remain in Davao until he assumes the presidency. Mr Duterte’s absence at yesterday’s ceremony in Manila delivered a message that he would not be beholden to lawmakers, said Mr Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute of Political and Economic Reforms.

“As a symbolism, he simply doesn’t want to be confined by Congress,” said Mr Casiple.

However, even some of Mr Duterte’s supporters were disappointed that he had shunned such an important date on the Philippines’ democratic calendar. “We tried to convince him to change his mind but unfortunately, he did not,” said Mr Vitaliano Aguirre, who Mr Duterte has named as the next Justice Secretary, while warning it was a sign of things to come.

Over the weekend, Mr Duterte told reporters that he does not plan on turning up to work until 1pm each day.

“I don’t care about your 8am to 5pm schedule,” said Mr Duterte at a news conference that began around midnight, what he said will be his normal time to knock off. “I’ll be sleeping by then. How can you make me work?”

He said he does not plan on giving up the creature comforts of his home, and vowed to catch a two-hour-long commercial flight to and from Manila each day until he adjusts to life in the capital’s Malacanang Palace. AGENCIES

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