Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, son of former President Rodrigo Duterte, dared President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to resign during a leadership forum on Sunday.

Speaking in front of supporters at the Hakbang ng Maisug Leaders Forum, Duterte said that Charter change through the people’s initiative was merely a way for Marcos to keep himself in power.

“Mr. President, if you don’t have love and aspiration for the country, resign,” Duterte said.

“You are lazy and you lack compassion,” he told Marcos in a speech.

“We are unhappy…because of all of these things that he is causing is oppressing the people. They are prioritizing his self-preservation in politics. They did not prioritize creating jobs instead of opening up new opportunities for Filipinos of the lower class," he said.

“You know, this is the exact template. The plebiscite and the people’s initiative now, that made them stay in power for 20 years. They are just replicating the template,” he added.

According to Duterte, drug and crime incidents resurfaced and increased after his father's term.

"My father, President Duterte had a clear campaign against drugs and criminality. Actually, I had anticipated that when he stepped down, there would be a resurgence of these activities because for six years they could not do anything. So there really is a rubberband effect...because PRD (President Rodrigo Duterte) was strict on these matters. In less than a year, you can see uniformed police personnel and some members of the Senate involved in what issue? Illegal drugs. What does this tell us?"

"You really need a pronouncement. If what the previous administration did was successful, your responsibility as his replacement is that you have to keep that up," he added. Jaspearl Tan/DMS