PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday, March 4, ribbed the senatorial candidates of the opposition slate Otso Diretso.
During the campaign sortie of his political party in Zamboanga City, Duterte said Otso Diretso candidates, who came from opposition Liberal Party and other groups in the political opposition, did nothing but to criticize his administration's policies.
"Sinong ipalit mo diyan sa 'yang 'Otso Diretso' papuntang impyerno (Who will you replace to that 'Otso Diretso,' who will go straight to hell)?" the President said before his audience.
"Totoo lang, hindi ako na-ano. If eh -- walang ginawa 'yang mga tao na 'yan, puro criticize, hindi pa maniwala (Frankly, I'm not happy. Those people did nothing but to criticize and chose not to believe)," he added.
This was the first time Duterte launched a tirade against the senatorial bets of the opposition slate.
The opposition slate is composed of then Local Government secretary Manuel Roxas II, re-electionist senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano, former lawmaker Erin Tañada, former solicitor general Florin Hilbay, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno, and Maranao civic leader Samira Gutoc.
Duterte, in his speech during the campaign rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), questioned the competence of the Otso Diretso bets to serve the country as senators.
"Roxas, Alejano, Aquino, Hilbay, Macalintal... Ah, wala, putulan ko ng ulo mga 'to. Walang kwenta mga tao. Wala namang nagawa para sa aming mga Moro (I'll decapitate them because they're useless. They have not done anything for us, Moro people)," the President said.
"'Yung si Romeo Macalintal, ito si... Lalo na ito si Diokno, 'yung Diokno, sus mag-salita... Pero ito, wala ito... Hindi mo madala ang gobyerno," he added.
(Romeo Macalintal and Diokno, look at how they talk. But it's nonsense... You cannot help the government).
He, however, refused to say harsh words against Gutoc, the only woman in the opposition slate.
"Si Samira, babae man 'yan. Ayaw ko mag-salita diyan. Eh ganoon. Iyan ang rule eh, pagka-babae (Samira is a woman. I don't want to say anything against her. That's the rule when it comes to woman), you just shut up. Samira Ali Gutoc, so I have nothing to say to you, ma'am," he said.
Speaking to Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Monday, March 4, said there was nothing wrong with Duterte campaigning against the opposition slate.
The Palace official said the President was merely being "frank."
"You must remember that the President has his own candidates and under the law, he can endorse or campaign against. So there's nothing wrong as far I am concerned," Panelo said.
"He's doing his feel. Ang feel niya hindi karapat-dapat itong mga kalaban ng kandidato niya. Eh ano namang masama dun? Eh halata naman, eh kung 'yung senador sa kabila binabanatan din siya, ganun talaga ang eleksyon," he added.
(He's doing his feel. He feels that the opposition slate are not deserving. So what's wrong with that? The senatorial candidates from the opposition are also criticizing him. So that's who election season works.)
Panelo also denied that Duterte was threatened to the opposition slate, saying the President merely did that since his administration was also being attacked.
"Aba'y nangangampanya ka. Siyempre mangangantyaw ka din sa kabila, eh kung nangangampanya ka eh. Kanya-kanyang kampanya naman yah eh (Of course, you're campaigning for your candidates, and you have to campaign against the opposition candidates. You have different strategies when you're campaigning," Panelo said. (SunStar Philippines)