MALACANANG on Thursday, September 20, was confident that it was impossible for President Rodrigo Duterte's critics to strip him of his role as the highest official in the land.
"It's not anything that the state cannot deal with. Dream on to those who want to remove the President," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. told Palace reporters.
Roque's remark came on the eve of the supposed "massive destabilization" being plotted by Duterte's political enemies in time for the 46th anniversary of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos's martial law regime.
Duterte on September 8 revealed that the communist group, the opposition Liberal Party, and Magdalo group led by Senator Antonio Trillanes are in connivance to topple his government.
On Friday, September 21, left-wing groups are expected to mobilize thousands of protesters in different parts of Metro Manila to stand against a "looming dictatorship" under Duterte's watch.
Roque said maximum tolerance would be observed in dealing with protesters on Friday.
"Wala naman pong makakareklamo kay Presidente na balat-sibuyas si Presidente. Hinahayaan niya, kinikilala niya ang importansya ng malayang pananalita (No one can tell the President that the President is onion-skinned. He allows them to exercise their right to free speech)," Roque said.
"So we will give maximum tolerance to everyone because after all, the President was not the one who declared martial law on September 21, 46 years ago," he added.
Amid the supposed ouster plot against him, Duterte on Tuesday, September 18, expressed his plan to end the communists' insurgency by the second quarter of 2019.
Responding to Duterte's pronouncement, communist founder Jose Maria Sison on Wednesday, September 19, said it would be more likely that the Chief Executive would be ousted by mid-2019.
Roque said Duterte's intent to end the communists' rebellion was meant to offer them a new "decent" life.
"Dalawang kumbinasyon po yan. Yung patuloy na pakikipaglaban sa kanila at yung patuloy na pag-eenganyo na mag surrender ang mga nanlaban sa ngalan ng Communist Party of the Philippines," he said.
(It's a combination of two: the relentless war on them and the proposal for the members of the Communist Party of the Philippines to surrender).
"It's a combination of both and plus the fact we're confident that the people will know the President was given a mandate to address the root causes of rebellion and he has been doing so," he added. (SunStar Philippines)