DAVAO City First District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte called reports that San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang is being considered as a “caretaker president” in a supposed military-backed reset “alarming and outright unconstitutional.”
“If these reports are accurate, then we are witnessing a full-blown attempt by powerful businessmen to influence, manipulate, and possibly direct the highest levels of government,” Duterte said in a statement on Nov. 20.
Politiko earlier reported that Ang was being floated as a possible interim “caretaker.” Duterte said that if true, the move would mark a dangerous point in the country’s history, making the Philippines appear less like a republic and more like a “banana republic” run by the highest bidder.
He said the power to choose leaders belongs to the Filipino people, not to tycoons “making backdoor deals or financial political maneuvers.” Any attempt at a political “reset,” he said, would amount to a hostile takeover of Philippine democracy, and he vowed not to stay silent.
“The Philippines is not for sale. The presidency is not a corporate seat. Filipinos are not employees waiting for instructions,” Duterte said.
He urged transparency, saying any hidden agendas or secret deals should be exposed. He added that Filipinos “are not afraid and will not give up,” and warned those allegedly involved that he would not let them “play around in the Philippines.”
Duterte claimed that “three individuals” are already acting as de facto presidents and that Ang’s alleged inclusion shows “oligarchs lining up to install one of their own.”
“This is not governance or democracy,” he said. “This is a corporate capture of the state.”
Duterte also said he received information that a business tycoon pressured former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to step down and is allegedly financing Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.
“To the members of the AFP and the PNP, remember that promises of momentary wealth mean nothing if our children and their children will suffer because of the selfish acts of a few,” he said. “Remember your mandate. Protect the Constitution and fight for your country.”
Duterte said the “oligarchs are back” and are no longer trying to hide, stressing that the Philippines “is not a playground for billionaires” and “not a business venture where they can simply reset things when they no longer like what is happening in the government.”
“The Filipino people deserve a government, not an oligarch syndicate,” he said.
Politiko’s report earlier claimed that some business groups were pushing Ang as a “consensus caretaker” amid corruption scandals and political instability surrounding the Marcos administration, following allegations raised by former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co and Sen. Imee Marcos.
The report also alleged that Manila’s elite are discussing a military-backed “reset,” not a traditional coup, to steady markets and guide the country toward the next election under an interim setup. It added that some tycoons believe political polarization has reached a point where “normal politics can no longer fix the crisis.” RGP