THE word war between presidential candidates Manuel Roxas II and Rodrigo Duterte continued on Thursday when Roxas said Duterte seemed to be his number one fan, and after Duterte called his critics—including Roxas—bayot or gay for not believing his promise to end criminality.
Bayot is the Cebuano term for gay.
“It seems that Digong [Duterte] is my number one fan. I’m sorry but your’e not my type,” Roxas told reporters in Midsayap, North Cotabato, on Thursday afternoon.
He made his statement even as Duterte and Senator Allan Peter Cayetano said Thursday they will kick off their campaign for president and vice president in Tondo, Manila, on Feb. 9 on Morga and Zamora.
“This is where we will dramatize the issue of the urban poor in Tondo,” Duterte’s camp said.
“This is where the people, mostly Visayan, are living in Manila. These people come to Manila because of the opportunities denied in their region. The Duterte government will focus on the empowerment of the poor people.”
At a presidential forum on Wednesday, Duterte lashed back at the critics of the reforms he instituted in Davao City, where he is mayor, and called them bayot.
“My enemies say it’s impossible because they are gay,” Duterte said in a presidential forum at the University of the Philippines in Diliman on Wednesday.
“They can’t do it. They’re scared to go to prison. They are scared to make mistakes, to kill, to die,” he said.
“Why? Because they are rich, too scared to die because they are hooked on money.”
Duterte and Roxas, who were once friends, resumed their word war after Duterte mocked Roxas’ latest political advertisement and called him “crazy” for claiming that he was “all work and no drama.”
Roxas promised to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law once he was elected president.
“Make no mistake about it. Attaining peace is very important for the progress of Mindanao. No development and progress will happen if there’s no peace,” he said.
“We cannot allow the bombings to continue, the gun fights and wars between fellow Filipinos. More than 100,000 have already died because of these wars. We will find ways to have peace in Mindanao.”