MANILA (UPDATED) - Allies of administration standard bearer Mar Roxas lost no time picking on Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte after the mayor declared his plan to run for president.
Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez thinks Duterte is overrated.
"Dito sa pagtakbo ni Mar Roxas, huwag na po nating tingnan si Mar Roxas, tingnan po natin iyong good intention, tingnan po natin iyong polisiya ng gobyerno, at tingnan din po natin iyong length of time. Six years is not enough for a good president, but six years is bad -- is too much for a bad president," Fernandez said.
"Kaya sana po bigyan natin ng pagkakataon, hindi si Mar Roxas, bigyan po natin ng pagkakataon iyong sinimulan ng daan na matuwid."
"Kasi, ang totoo niyan, ang magandang campaigner namin ay si Mayor Duterte. Bakit? Kasi pinakita niya iyong mahabang serbisyo sa bayan with good intention, with good program and policy, it works. Kung nagawa niya sa Davao, magagawa sa Pilipinas. Pero, it doesn't mean, it doesn't follow na iyong tao, ang dapat iyong programa, iyong good intention and the support of the people," he added.
Fernandez believes the Liberal Party (LP) can do more for the country if given the same chance Duterte has as mayor.
"Ilang taon siya naging mayor? Twenty-two years, di ba? Naging congressman pa siya, tapos naging vice mayor pa siya. Ako, bigyan mo ako ng kalahati lang ng term niya, 10 taon, dodoblihin ko ang nangyari sa Davao City... Ako, tingin ko po ang pagsisilbi po sa bayan ay tatlong quality ang kailangan: Unang-una, 10 percent good intention, 40 percent policy and program and 50 percent, iyong will and mandate of the people," he said.
He claimed the situation in Davao City improved not merely because Duterte was their mayor but because Duterte had over 22 years to serve as mayor of the city.
"At sa 20 taon, ibigay po ninyo sa Liberal Party, we will convert this country from a developing nation to a developed nation. Magiging number one po tayo," he said.
"Kasi ako, ito ang challenge ko sa iyo, bigyan mo ng tatlong taon si Mayor Duterte, mapapaganda niya ba ang Davao City? Ako, I have nothing against Mayor Duterte, I love the guy dahil magaling siya, but the problem is, sa pagsisilbi sa isang bayan, kailangan mayroong quality o mayroong qualification. Kailangan, sama-sama po iyong good intention, good program and policy, and the intent and the will of the people, iyon ang nagkataon na mayroon si Mayor Duterte, na hindi natin pa naibibigay sa Liberal Party."
Fernandez also defended Roxas' track record, citing his accomplishments as secretary of the Departments of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas agreed, saying any administration needs more time to actually improve the condition of the country.
"Ang ipinaglalaban lang po namin dito, ang sinasabi namin, maganda itong programang sinimulan, and sayang naman kung hindi ito ipagpapatuloy ng itong programang ito mismo... and itong huling halimbawa, itong APEC, ay ang ganda ng mga resulta, pero ang naha-highlight iyong mga maliliit na bagay na hindi naman talaga natin maasahan dahil wala namang perpekto," he said.
According to Fernandez, Duterte's track record may be partly rhetoric. The tough-talking mayor is known for ridding his city of drug pushers but he is also accused of involuntary disappearances and extrajudicial executions.
Fernandez also pointed out Duterte may not even be qualified to run since the certificate of candidacy (COC) of Martin Diño, who Duterte may substitute for the presidency, may not even be valid.
Diño filed for the presidency but his COC shows he filed for mayor of Pasay City.
READ: Duterte substitution faces hurdles: lawyer
"I am not a lawyer and I cannot speak well on this, but I am sure na kapag ito in-allow ito ng Comelec, halimbawa, ako gusto kong tumakbo ng senator, magfa-file muna ako ng ano ko pwede kong i-substitute pagdating ng panahon, pero I will still file my candidacy as mayor of Sta. Rosa City. Baka lahat na lang ng tao ganoon ang gawin and then you choose on the right time para tumakbong substitute ka. I think hindi naman tayo ano rito para magpa-bebe tayo na tipo bang lagi na lamang titingnan natin iyong aksyon niya na lagi tayo sa huli magfa-file. I think this is not right and we have to set it -- we are under the rule of law and we have to follow the law, di ba?"
Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo, meanwhile, sees no impact if Duterte joins the 2016 race since previous analysis and surveys already factored in the mayor.
Duterte has placed behind Senator Grace Poe, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Roxas in previous presidential preference surveys.
"I don't think may major changes naman and iyong sa isyu ng Mindanaoans whether may magsi-shift ng support, sa tingin namin hindi talaga, kasi for me hindi naman kami parang regionalistic basta na may candidate na from our place automatic na i-su-support namin. We always look at the qualifications and kung sino iyong pinaka-capable talaga, and we believe that it is Secretary Mar," said Romualdo.
Romualdo added Duterte's case may be more legally complicated than the disqualification cases filed against Poe, whose citizenship is being questioned.
YACAP Rep. Carol Lopez pointed out that both she and Romualdo are from Mindanao but they are both for Roxas.
Lopez does not think Duterte will make a dent.
"Davao City is not the entire Mindanao, it is not the entire 82 provinces, so it is just one area or one region. If it will make a dent, as he has said, we have always treated Mayor Duterte as one of the candidate, so walang major effect din naman iyon sa amin," she said.