PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE told soldiers to avoid wasting time by plotting a coup against him, and urged them instead to convince him to step down if they no longer find him deserving to lead the country.
“Do not go into such stupid things. Coup d'état, coup d'état, you’re wasting your time. Just talk to me and if I think you are right, I will agree with you and I will step down,” Duterte said. “If you think I do not deserve to be there, just tell me. I’d be happy to oblige. If you think there’s a better guy there on the side.”
Duterte also reminded soldiers to fulfill their sworn duty to protect the country and Filipinos. “Your loyalty should begin and end with the Republic of the Philippines. Do not mind me,” he said.
The President also vowed to “rebuild” soldiers who were severely injured while performing their duties.“Sabi ko sa mga sundalo nung nagbista ako sa Cagayan three days ago, sabi ko while I am President I will never allow an inutile soldier, policeman or guard,” he said.
“Kung mawala yung paa mo, kung wala akong maibigay, ibigay ko ang paa ko. Tandaan mo, hindi ako papayag na may sundalo akong inutil.” In a televised interview this month, Duterte bared an intelligence report and accused the Magdalo Group, Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison, and other opposition groups are in a loose conspiracy to overthrow the government.
He challenged soldiers to join Senator Antonio Trillanes IV - a former Magdalo coupist, if they think the former Navy officer who was among those who led soldiers in failed attempts to toppled then President Gloria Arroyo, now House Speaker - can do better in running the country.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque described Duterte’s challenge as an expression of confidence that Trillanes and other groups will not get support from the soldiers. “It means the President is confident that there would be no support from the military to unseat him,” Roque said.
He said Duterte has clarified that he is not clinging to the position he won overwhelmingly in the 2016 elections. “He challenged them because he's sure there would be no support. But he's also saying he is not clinging to his post. If they want to, then do it,” Roque said. (Azer Parrocha)
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