President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has expressed his gratitude for the support of Filipinos who honored his job “at the right time, in the right manner” as the Chief Executive of the county.

“I’d like to thank the Filipino people for the continued support at paniniwala ninyo sa akin sa pagkatao ko, sa pagka-official ko (and in your belief in me as a person, as an official),” Duterte said in an interview with Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar, aired by the state-run PTV4 Channel on Friday night.

Based on the recently published December 2021 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, Duterte maintained a “very good” net satisfaction rating of +60 with the majority of Filipinos still giving their approval for his performance as the country’s highest government official.

“I don’t know if it is an emotional outpouring but going by the numbers, it is huge and until now it surprises me, continues to baffle me,” Duterte said.
He added that he shares the people’s emotions when he left Davao City for Malacañang to start his term as Chief Executive.

“I may be just lucky, it might be the people tinanggap nila yung pledge ko and naniniwala sila sa ginawa ko (they accepted my pledge and believed in what I did),” he said.

“When you are an officer of the government, especially an elected official, there’s a set of rules that quite rigid to follow. But once the confidence of the people or your trust is broken then may problema ka (you have a problem). So I am on my— I’m winding up and I am now on [my] last days of my presidency,” he added.

Duterte began his presidency in June 2016. (PNA)