NEWLY-APPOINTED Communications Undersecretary Clarissa Castro yesterday said former President Duterte is moving to return to power through intrigues he has been sowing, contrary to his claim that President Marcos Jr. is eyeing to prolong his stay in power.
Duterte during a rally on Saturday night said Marcos “is veering towards dictatorship” as he will declare martial law before his term ends in 2028, just like what his father did in 1972, to create a no-election scenario which will pave the way for his term extension.
Castro said the former president, who is known for sowing intrigues, should also show evidence that the President is really clinging to power.
She said that Marcos’ supposed plans to declare martial law is just an opinion of Duterte who has been defaming the President and the current administration in every political rally that he attends.
She said it is Duterte who wants to return to power.
“Talaga naman nakikita natin kung saan sila gumagawi… Nakikita natin yung paninira nila sa pamahalaan at sa pangulo. So alam na natin kung saan yung punta nila. Gusto nila makuha muli ang power, ang authority (You can see where they are heading for. [During rallies], we can see they keep kept attacking government and the President. So we know where this is headed. They want to grab power again, the authority,” she said.
Castro recalled that Duterte himself had admitted that he is an “expert” when it comes to sowing intrigues and even planting evidence.
She said this was proven in the case of former senator Leila de Lima who was jailed during the Duterte presidency for government’s drug-related charges, and was released after the charges her were dismissed during the Marcos presidency.
“We cannot just believe the intrigues without proof of evidence. And this is what I remember, during the term of President Duterte, he admitted that when he was still a fiscal, he was an expert at sowing intrigue and planting evidence,” she said in Filipino.
Castro’s statements followed that of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin who on Sunday said Duterte’s claims are “baseless and ridiculous statements” and “a tall tale from a man prone to lying and to inventing hoaxes.”
Senate President Francis Escudero yesterday said Duterte’s allegation against Marcos “is not only inconsistent, but also irrational and untrue.”
“I do not agree and do not subscribe to his (Duterte) accusation at all.”
He said Duterte has once falsely accused Marcos of being a “weak leader.”
“When their accusation that PBBM was a weak leader who was not in control did not fly, now they are accusing him (Marcos) of the exact opposite and now supposedly has dictatorial tendencies. It is not only inconsistent but irrational and untrue (as well),” Escudero said in a Viber message to reporters.
He said he has worked with Marcos for almost a year now as Senate president and he does not believe the President has dictatorial tendencies.
“And I can say with certainty that I do not subscribe to FPRRD’s statement because I simply do not see it and cannot infer nor believe it from PBBM’s attitude, outlook, and work ethic,” he added.
La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V echoed Bersamin’s statement that Duterte is a “one-man fake news factory.”
“What do you call the king of fake news? Father faker? Is it father of fake news? Mother faker?,” he said in mixed Filipino and English during a joint press conference.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the allegation is far-fetched because Marcos the has not retaliated despite having been at the receiving end of death threats and insults, referring to those made by Vice President Sara Duterte.
“How can one be a dictator when you’re cursed at? When they’re threatening to exhume the remains of your father to throw it in the West Philippine Sea. When they threaten your life, your wife, the Speaker of the House who is your cousin and every time they hold a rally, the main point is to destroy your person,” he said in Filipino during the same press conference. – With Raymond Africa and Wendell Vigilia
