Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte finds himself bewildered as his name becomes entangled in rumors of supposed destabilization plots against the government.
This puzzling development comes on the heels of Armed Forces Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.’s initial disclosure of destabilization plots against the Marcos administration, with insinuations that Duterte may have had a hand in these maneuvers.
“I really do not know how I was dragged into this,” Duterte remarked during the “Gikan sa Masa Para sa Masa” program aired on Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).
In a controversial but later retracted speech on Friday, Brawner had stated, “Marami tayong naririnig ngayon na mga masasabi nating destabilization efforts,” hinting at the need to change the President for various reasons.
Brawner also raised the possibility of a coup d’état, suggesting involvement from former Armed Forces officers.
While Duterte admitted to conversing with some retired generals, he firmly denied any involvement in destabilization efforts or a coup.
He clarified that he had stressed that, as long as there was no serious corruption issue, there would be no coup.
However, Duterte recently labeled the House of Representatives as the “most rotten institution” in the country, following the removal of hundreds of millions of pesos in confidential funds for the upcoming year, which had been allocated for his daughter, Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“What I said during our meeting, among others, was as long as there is no serious issue of corruption (there would be no coup),” the former president said in a mix of English and Tagalog.?
“What would bring the government down is if the people would know that their money is being spent on personal matters,” Duterte emphasized, suggesting that he might have been misquoted.
Duterte does not foresee any political turmoil on the horizon, stating, “I don’t think there are current issues big enough to create another turmoil.”
He believes that rampant, uncontrolled, and unabated government corruption would be the most significant issue leading to such turmoil.
Regarding the current administration’s handling of corruption, Duterte expressed confidence, offering a measured assessment of President Marcos with a passing grade of 6 on a scale of 1 to 10.
He remarked, “He is performing not exceedingly well, but enough to make the people comfortable.”
Duterte further called on Filipinos to support President Marcos, giving the government time to achieve its objectives and make corrections if necessary.
In a separate development, former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, along with Davao City’s Representative Isidro Ungab, faced a surprise ouster as deputy speakers during a recent plenary session.
The changes were approved after the House adopted House Resolution No. 1414 to show support for Speaker Martin Romualdez, who had been criticized by Duterte.
Ungab gracefully accepted the decision, recognizing the dynamics of the House. In May, Arroyo was also stripped of her “senior deputy speaker” title amid allegations that she was vying for the speakership.
Meanwhile, Duterte remains unperturbed by colleagues leaving the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party, following remarks by Senior Deputy Speaker Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, who labeled him a “threat” to the House.
Duterte stated, “I respect his decision to go out of the party,” and encouraged those not aligned with their beliefs to leave.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, on the other hand, dismissed destabilization efforts, labeling those supporting such attempts as “crazy.” He stressed that retirees like him are more focused on enjoying their retirement and had no capability for such actions.
The Daily Netizen 