Palace reiterates Duterte no plan to extend stay in power

March 27, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte has no intention of prolonging his stay in power, Malacanang said on Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque reiterated this following the statement of former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who heads the 20-member consultative committee tasked to propose changes in the Constitution, that under their proposal, Duterte could not seek re-election nor extend his term.

"The president has expressed that he has no intention of staying a minute longer than what the term of the president provides under our Constitution," Roque said in a statement.

"The president has even stated that he would step down from the presidency earlier, should the Philippines shift to a federal system of government as early as 2020," he added.

Under the 1987 Constitution, Duterte's term will end on 2022.

The Duterte administration has been pushing for the government's shift to federalism. Celerina Monte/DMS