Who will now get the Duterte votes?

Mayor Duterte, before his decision to quit on his presidential ambition, was considered the most “au-thentic” of the presidential wannabes (presidentiable is not a word). His reputation of toughness and his supreme ability to co-exist with the Revolutionary Left in Mindanao, were complementary to this perception of authenticity. He is perceived as largely unafraid.

Even in the urban areas of Luzon, Mr. Duterte had legions of admirers, especially the law-and-order types who think that politicians, by and large, have been soft on the scums of the earth. Pacifists like myself (whose energy to fight was exhausted during the Marcos regime) are wary of Mr. Duterte but those who view criminals as natural-born and not shaped by the grimness of their circumstances, were ready to embrace the Davao mayor’s presidential ambition.