- Duterte says President Marcos heading toward dictatorship
FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte warned that the draconian policies of the current administration might be a precursor to martial law.
Addressing the crowd of thousands during the indignation rally in Mandaue City, Cebu, on Saturday night, Feb. 22, Duterte said, “You know, Mr. [President Ferdinand] Marcos Jr. is veering towards a dictatorship.”
“I’ll bet with you, he won’t step down after his term, just like his father. We’ll have chaos again because he will declare martial law, just like his father. During martial law, there are no elections, he will just elect himself,” he added.
“He will use what his father did because he doesn’t want to step down. He’s finding it difficult. That’s why you will experience chaos, remember that, just like the previous martial law,” he further said.
Duterte then addressed the military and police, “But you soldiers and police, listen, don’t go along with the ambition of one person because sooner or later, that will end, and it’s illegal.”
“Choose, go to the wrong side. There are only two sides, wrong and right. Soldiers, police, if you go to the wrong side, we will clash,” he warned.
Duterte attended the indignation Rally in Mandaue City, to protest against impeachment, oppression, corruption, illegal drugs, and criminality. The organizer, Hakbang ng Maisug-Cebu, reported that approximately 40,000 people attended the rally.
According to the organizer, the crowd estimate was based on the duration of the event, which began at 4 p.m. and ended at 11:30 p.m.
“Ridiculous statements”
In response, Malacañang on Sunday called out Duterte for claiming that President Marcos Jr. is “veering towards a dictatorship.”
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the Marcos administration will continue to uphold the Constitution and adhere to the rule of law.
Bersamin said, “We treat the former president’s baseless and ridiculous statements in the same way that Filipinos are dismissive of them: a tall tale from a man prone to lying and to inventing hoaxes.”
“We will not backslide into the oppressive ways of the previous administration, when critics were jailed upon trumped-up charges and when kill orders were publicly issued with glee and obeyed blindly,” he said.
“It is the leader of that troubled past who is depicting us as veering toward a system where anyone can be deprived of life, liberty, and property without due process of law, as many had been on his mere say-so as a tyrant who did not respect the rights of the people,” he added.
Screenshot photo of Rhoda Grace B Saron
