Duterte Vows to Ease Investment Rules, Eyes GCC

Manila: Front-running presidential candidate, Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing investors from the GCC, particularly Saudi Arabia, as he starts working on delivering his polls promises.

“We will simplify rules for investors,” he had told media in an interview in the Philippines in February this year, Arab News reported.

“I would like to first address the Mindanao issue and you can have a better deal with me because I come from a mixed background. If you open my heart, half of it is for Mindanaons, the Moro and half of it for Cebuano, from where my father comes. I’m from Mindanao and I should know how to solve the problems.”

Duterte is the only Filipino official who banned smoking in public places. “I imposed the no-smoking ban. We do report deaths due to vehicular accidents,” he had said.

On secularism, he reportedly said “Davao has a mixed population. I do not allow even in basketball tournaments as Muslim team or Christian team … it’s always mixed.”

The soon-to-be Philippine president also mentioned that discriminatory treatment may land one in jail for six months, including developers who do not sell housing units to a certain ethnic group.

“There is a fair share of employment for everybody in various departments, including police,” he had reportedly added.

Referring to the NPA (New People’s Army), he was quoted as saying by Arab News, “I was a student when it broke up in the 1970s. I am 70 years old now. We will have to talk. I said separate this issue from criminality. Of course there’s violence in every revolution.”

Asked how he would run the country if elected, Duterte had stated, “I will start with the city and then focus on the country. I treat everybody equally. The resources of the city are for the entire population. And I am very strict as far as governance is concerned.”

(Source: FilipinoTimes.ae)