Manila baker in free cake give-away after Duterte win

[ MANILA] A Manila baker says he will stood by his promise to give away more than 7,000 slices of cake throughout Rodrigo Duterte's six-year term as Philippine president after being inundated with requests when his offer went viral.

Quim's Cafe owner Eliaquin Labang didn't think much of Mr Duterte or his election chances and said last year he would give away 5 million pesos (US$106,000) worth of cake if the 71-year-old former prosecutor was elected.

Mr Duterte was sworn in as the country's 16th president on Thursday after his promises to crush crime won over the public in last month's vote and left Mr Labang inundated with demands for free treats.

The baker said he would give 50 slices twice a month through Duterte's term to those who register online, a Facebook post that was liked more than 26,000 times.

Mr Labang, who had criticised Duterte last year for running in the election after previously saying he wouldn't stand, added that he had changed his mind about the new president despite the cost to his business. "The president has been working ... on the drug cases and we're seeing them slowly crumbling, that's when I had the idea that he's really a good president," Mr Labang told Reuters.

REUTERS