President Duterte is not keen on sending his well-wishes to his apparent successor until the Commission on Elections (Comelec) officially proclaims him as the 17th president of the Philippines.
Duterte made this statement following the recently concluded elections on May 9, where former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a candidate he said he would not endorse, emerged victorious in the presidential race with over 31 million votes based on the partial unofficial count.
In his "Talk to the People," on Thursday morning, May 12, the President noted that the election process was almost over but said he would not send his regards to Marcos just yet.
"Since there is no statement or proclamation coming from the Comelec, we would rather just wait until we can congratulate them in the proper time," he said.
Duterte congratulated those who won the elections and hoped that they would serve the people with all their hearts.
"Whoever will come out — you have my congratulations well in advance," he said.
"I am hopeful that you will serve the Filipino people with all your heart and ability and prioritize the welfare of the general public above everything," he added.
The President likewise asked those who failed to win the elections to continue helping Filipinos even in their own little ways.
"To the candidates who have failed to secure seats, I thank you as well for your participation in this electoral process," Duterte said.
"You may not have won this time, but I hope that you will continue to serve our people in your capacity as leaders in your respective sectors and communities," he added.
The President has also thanked those who made the peaceful conduct of elections possible.
“It was a peaceful — generally peaceful. I thank and congratulate the Comelec, our teachers, the military, the police, and the civil society sector and of course the thousands of volunteers for all your — for all the work and handling, participation in the conduct of this year’s election,” he said.