PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, September 8, claimed that Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is colluding with the Liberal Party and the communists in efforts to topple his government by October.
In an interview in Davao City, Duterte said Trillanes was in connivance with the "yellows" and "reds", referring to the LP and the communists, respectively.
"Itong Left organization, I will show you, tatlo iyan, bantayan niyo. Iyang yellow Liberal, Trillanes, pati politburo. We will show it to you," the President said upon his arrival from his Israel and Jordan trips.
(This Left organization, I will show you, they are three that you have to watch out for -- the yellow liberal, Trillanes, and Politburo. We will show it to you.)
"Iyang tatlong iyan bantayan ninyo. Iyan ang mag-oust Duterte and will go into [it] either [by] October. Ganon. Bantayan ninyo iyan. Iyang tatlong iyan, konektado lahat iyan," he added.
(Watch out for these three. They will seek 'oust Duterte' movement and will go into [it[ either [by] October. That's how it is. Watch out for it. Those three are all connected.)
Duterte made the remarks as Trillanes continued to camp out in his office at the Senate to avoid arrest following the issuance of Proclamation 572.
Duterte signed Proclamation 572 on August 31, declaring the amnesty of Trillanes as void from the very beginning because of the latter's alleged failure to submit an official amnesty application form and admit his guilt over his involvement in the uprisings against former President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The amnesty was granted to Trillanes and more than 30 others by then President Benigno Aquino III, who currently sits as LP's chairman emeritus.
Prior to Duterte's latest pronouncement, Trillanes on Thursday, September 6, claimed that some active and retired military officers were "very bothered" and "conflicted" by Duterte's order to invalidate his amnesty.
Duterte, unfazed by Trillanes's statement, said he was not worried about the possibility that the state troops would not follow his orders, stressing that he was "ready to step down."
"I always stress with the uniformed people of our government that they should not nurture in me or anybody else in my Cabinet and government loyalty. I said you should focus your loyalty to the flag of the Philippines and the Constitution," Duterte said.
"Bakit pa tayo mag-drama drama kung ganon ang sitwasyon? Me, sinabi ko sa inyo, I'm old, I'm ready to step down," he added.
(Why would be engaged in a drama if that's the situation? Me, I already told you, I'm old, I'm ready to step down.) (SunStar Philippines)