PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte asked the military on Monday, September 24, to "not bed with enemy," as he repeated his claim that opposition groups are in connivance to remove him from office.
During his visit to wounded soldiers in Jolo, Sulu, the President bewailed that some Philippine troops were allegedly joining his political enemies to execute their plan to topple his government.
"Diyan ako nag-hinanakit sa kanila, 'yung mga sundalo. Hindi na bale magalit sila sa akin. Wala 'yun. But to do it in cahoots sa kalaban, [hindi okay sa akin]. Ako, isa lang ako, pwede man ako mahulog ngayon, pero ang problema ang bayan di mo idala sa sentimyento mo," Duterte said.
(I resent some soldiers. It's fine with me if they get mad at me. That's fine with me. But to do it in cahoots with the enemy, [it's not fine with me]. I am just alone, you can overthrow me now, but the problem is you cannot involve the public in your sentiment.)
"If you are true to your country, do not bed with the enemy. Kung ayaw mo ako na presidente, Duterte kasi bugok walang alam, okay lang, fine. Hintay lang sila ng eleksyon (If you don't want me as president, because you believe Duterte is stupid and does not know anything, that's okay, dine. Just wait for the election)," he added.
Duterte first bared to the public on September 8 that the communist group, the opposition Liberal Party, and the Magdalo group would want him out of office by October.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines backed Duterte's allegation, saying the President's critics would proceed with their plan to unseat him in October.
In a press conference on Tuesday, September 25, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. maintained that Duterte's political rivals would not succeed in destabilizing the government.
"Gawin na nilang lahat, hindi sila magtatagumpay dahil suportado ng taumbayan si President Duterte (They can do everything they want, but they will not be successful because our countrymen support President Duterte)," Roque said.
Duterte was confident that the ouster plot against him would not prosper as long as the state forces do not support such plan.
"Itong plot, plot, plot na ito, ganito lang ang masasabi ko: Nothing will succeed without the help of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (About this plot, all I can say is this: Nothing will succeed without the help of the Armed Forces of the Philippines)," he said.
"If the military and armed forces and the police think na hindi ako bagay na maging presidente, sabihan nila ako. Walang away-away. Kung sabihin nila na dapat palitan ako, larga ako," the President added.
(If the military and armed forces and the police think that I do not deserve to become a president, they have to tell me. I will not argue. If they say I should be replaced, I will step down.) (SunStar Philippines)