MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday acknowledged former President Cory Aquino for jumpstarting his political career.

Duterte admitted that his mother was among Aquino’s original supporters in Davao City.

“My mother was one of the four original yellow guys now who used to march the thoroughfares of Davao. Apat lang sila. Aapat lang sila. And at that time, nobody was paying attention to them. But she was already shouting,” Duterte said.

“I was appointed OIC vice mayor. That start me in Davao and I owe it to Cory Aquino. I got out from the prosecution, then started my career as an OIC, then ran after the OIC, mayor,” he added.

Duterte added that politicians’ practice of moving to the ruling political party has been in existence for several generations.

“But as is the practice of the Filipino politicians, they gravitate towards the ruling party. So by the next election, kagaya dito, marami na kaming PDP. It’s a practice which for convenience and if you are a politician by the definition of the terms of what a politician is and should be dito sa Pilipinas, ganun talaga. And this has been going on, not only now ‘yung PDP, but even during my father’s time,” he said.

Thousands of Liberal Party members have transferred to the ruling PDP-Laban after Duterte took the presidency.

Last week, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez led the mass-oath taking of new PDP-Laban party members, who were criticized for allegedly failing to comply with the application process.