Former president Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night warned President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that he is not following democracy and is veering towards a more authoritarian government.
“Mr. President, hindi mo na sinunod yung demokrasya and you are veering towards a more authoritarian (government). Mahirap iyan. I am just warning you. Ako, isa talaga sa hindi papayag. Kung magtatanong ka what I intend to do, I will raise hell one day and I would ask the military and the police to join me not to force you out of office but we will just air our sentiment for you not to forget that the Philippines is a democratic state,” Duterte said in a press conference in Davao City.
The former president made the statement as reaction to the 60-day preventive suspension order against Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib on Tuesday.
“You must remember that Kuya Gov Edwin Jubahib has been elected by the people of North Davao. Itong nangyari kay Gov. Edwin Jubahib, na basta na lang pinaalam sa kanya na umalis ka, it violates the due process of law. Very important iyang “no person shall be denied the equal protection of the Constitution. Tatanggalin mo ang tao mo na walang rason. We have to respect the will of the people of North Davao. For respeto naman,” Duterte said.
Duterte clarified that he doesn’t intent to fight with Marcos but just telling the President that he did lots of things that weren’t right.
“Kaya nagre-reklamo ako kasi alam ko and do not continue committing so many mistakes because one day puputok yan. Maniwala ka sa akin. Military is not yours, yung mga generals lang ang malapit sa iyo. Ang military nakatutok lang yan sa tao including the police, tandaan ninyo yan. Nagkamali ka, Mr. Marcos,” he said.
Meanwhile, the former president reacted to Marcos’ statement that he is ‘horrified’ by the “gentlemen’s agreement” between Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The agreement concerns the grounded vessel BRP Sierra Madre in the West Philippine Sea.
Duterte admitted that he had agreed with Jinping to maintain the status quo in the West Philippine Sea.
“Aside from the fact of having a handshake with President Xi Jinping, the only thing I remember was status quo. That’s the word na walang galawan — no movement, no armed patrols there…para walang magkagulo, hindi tayo magkagulo. Yun ang naaalala ko. I do not even know the Ayungin Shoal,” he said.
Duterte said present during the meeting with Jinping was former Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, former National Security Adviser (NSA) Secretary Eduardo Año, former NSA Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr., and his cabinet members.
Duterte said that despite the verbal agreement, “We have not conceded anything to China.”
”There might have been exchange of control over the China sea, pero those were really territorial in nature, not involving the encroachment of China in an exclusive economic zone. Iba yon….Nobody but nobody in the Philippines today, either the Supreme Court, the presidency or Congress can concede anything about territories. Hindi gawain ng presidente yan,” Duterte said.
He added that despite “being oppressed by China,” the Philippines “cannot afford a war at this time” with Beijing.
Duterte said that from his first state visit in Beijing and conversation with Xi, he knew that the Philippines could not risk escalating tensions with China.
“I said, ‘Mr. President, we would insist the China sea, or not the whole of it, but there is a part of the China sea that belongs to the Philippines…I will dig my oil there. I just want to let you know.’ Ito ang sagot ni Xi Jinping, ‘I am afraid you cannot do that…because it would mean trouble,” Duterte said.
“At ang pagka-intindi ko pagsabi niya there will be trouble, if we insist on our own way there, China will go to war,” he said.
He said he told Xi that he did not want “to spoil everything” and that “maybe we can put it off to some other day.”
“Yung put it off to some other day never came because we avoided that controversy,” Duterte said of his conversation with Xi.
The former president also challenged Marcos to repair the vessel.
Last year, Marcos said that the condition of the BRP Sierra Madre, which is a dilapidated second-world warship that serves as a Philippine Navy outpost at Ayungin Shoal, is a Filipino concern. There are also reports that the US is providing advice on repairing the vessel.
“Stop complaining and expounding on it. Do it and repair. Iyan ang sinasabi ko sa kanila. I challenge them kasi sila naman ang nasa gobyerno ngayon. Edi-i-repair nila at gumawa sila doon ng mga bahay bahay kung saan, if they are ready for that. Gawin na nila ngayon ang gusto nilang gawin. I-patrol na nila yung Philippine Navy, the gray ships and let us see that happens. Kami, takot. Ayaw namin ng gieyra. Kung sa kanya hindi magkaka gueyra because andiyan yung navy, edi gawin mo. You have the ironclad guarantee of the US navy that will all die for the Philippines,” Duterte said.
The former president emphasized he did not decide on his concerns about national security.
“I do not decide on my own when there is a critical issue at hand in front of me. I call the National Council. Kung wala akong panahon, iyan si Año, Esperon, and mga military ang tinatanong ko sa Cabinet. It’s the act of the president, correct? I will educate you, hindi akin lahat yan. I cannot make a move relative to the security of the country without asking the military and the National Security Council. Kaya iyang agreement na iyan, kung totoo, nasabi ko na sa mga military iyan. You should not keep anything secret when you are talking about the national security,” Duterte said.
