Sa mga nalalabi niyang panahon sa Palasyo, tinagubilinan ni Pangulong Aquino si presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte na huwag kaliligtaang magtiwala sa Panginoon at laging gumawa ng mabuti para sa mamamayan upang mapanatiling epektibo ang pamamahala sa bansa.
“You will feel more and more alone the longer you’re there. You will have more and more complex problems that have to be dealt with and the public will say ‘yesterday,’” pahayag ni Aquino sa panayam ng CNN Philippines.
“But at the end of the day, I guess if you are focused on our people and you have trust in God, you follow your instincts, you will get to where you want to go,” dagdag ni Aquino.
Sa Hunyo 30, 2016, uupo ang 71-anyos na alkalde ng Davao City bilang bagong pangulo ng bansa matapos umani ng mahigit 15 milyong boto sa halalan na idinaos nitong Mayo 9.
Bagamat umani ng batikos kay PNoy dahil sa umano’y diktaduryang istilo ng pamumuno ni Duterte, kinalaunan ay tinanggap na rin ni Aquino ang pagkapanalo ng alkalde sa halalan.
“Part of the peaceful transfer of power is to say, ‘Look at these are things we have done, the idea is this, these are the components that still have to be done, these are things to look out and watch out in coming months, in coming years,’ assuming they are predisposed to listening to us,” ayon kay Aquino.
“When we get there, that’s a very important ceremony for the State, that there is that transition in power. We will ensure everything in our power to make sure it will be a memorable event, that it gives the incoming administration that leg up as they start governance,” dagdag niya. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)