MANILA — Malacanang on Thursday said there is no need for President Rodrigo Duterte to conduct loyalty check both in the military and police after he revealed that ‘yellow’ group wanted to oust him from power.
“Not necessarily, the President is very secure. He know that he’s working well,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Assistant Secretary Anna Marie Banaag replied when asked during a press briefing if President Duterte is making any counter moves.
Banaag said President Duterte knows that he has the support of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) as well as by the majority of the Filipino in his campaign against illegal drugs, corruption and criminality.
“It is not all about EJK (extra judicial killings). Governing the Philippines is not all about that. It’s all about a lot of things concerning the Filipino people and alleviating their plight,” she explained.
Last Wednesday, President Duterte said the yellow group, referring to the political color of Liberal Party (LP), wanted him ousted to allow LP chairperson and Vice President Leni Robredo to take over the presidency.
The LP leadership denied the President’s accusation, saying they have no more enough numbers to oust President Duterte.
“The alleged plot is untrue. There is no such plot,” LP president Sen. Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan told the Senate media on Thursday.
Pangilinan said the bulk of the ‘yellows’ have abandoned the former ruling party of former President Benigno Aquino III and transferred to President Duterte’s political party, Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
The senator explained that the LP stalwarts’ opposition to the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani “does not mean we want Duterte ousted.”
“We are in a democracy and dissent and rallies should be seen simply as such in a democracy and should not be viewed as part of a so-called larger conspiracy,” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan assured that he and Robredo will not allow any move to oust President Duterte.
The Vice President recently resigned as head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) due to “irreconcilable differences” with the policies of the Duterte administration. PNA-northboundasia.com