President Rodrigo Duterte talks with Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, on Monday, Jan. 28, 2019, during his visit to Jolo in Sulu, a day after two successive explosions hit the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. (Photo by CHRISTOPHER GO)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday chided the military and the police for joining attempts to topple the government.
Duterte issued this remark before village officials in Pasay City on Monday as the country marked the 33rd Edsa People Power revolution that toppled the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos.
鈥淎ng sinabi ko lang itong sa military pati pulis, kayo rin kasi, may move power-power movement diyan ang mga鈥� itong mga mayaman, mga鈥� Eh 鈥榙i ito silang鈥� kita mo nga spokesman nila saan nakatira? Sa Forbes Park. Kuno,鈥� he said in his speech at the 1st National Assembly of the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas in Pasay.
[All I鈥檓 saying is that the military and the police have a power movement along with the rich. See where their spokesman lives? In Forbes Park.]
It was not clear which spokesman the President was referring to.
鈥淒i ba 鈥檡ung crowd ni Roxas, 鈥榶an sila ang鈥� mga elitista. Tapos 鈥榶an sila ang magpower-power movement. Tapos kung kayo naman military pati pulis, sumasali kayo. Tapos sabihin niyo: 鈥極 dito kami sa kampong ito,鈥欌�� he added.
[Those in the crowd of Roxas are elitists and they鈥檙e the ones聽in the power movement. And you people in the military and the police join them. And then you say: 鈥淲e鈥檙e backing this camp.鈥漖
鈥淎nd you have done that several times,鈥� the President added.
鈥淜anino mo i-turn over ang gobyerno? Doon sa kalaban niya sa pulitika鈥� Anak ng boss 鈥� you better stop it. Kung ganun 鈥榳ag kayong makialam if that is your habit. What for?鈥� he said. 鈥淪abi ko kanila kung mag-kudeta kayo, mag-mutiny kayo, huwag mong isauli sa pulitiko. Isauli mo sa Pilipino,鈥� he added.
[To whom do you turn over the government? To the political rivals. I told them, if you鈥檙e going to do a coup or a mutiny, don鈥檛 turn over the government to politicians. Give it back to Filipinos.]
The police and the military played a key role during the 1986 Edsa People Power uprising.
The President is a known ally of the Marcos family, even calling the late President Marcos as 鈥渂est president ever.鈥�
He was heavily criticized for allowing Marcos鈥檚 burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on Nov. 18, 2016. /atm
搁贰础顿:听Duterte to voters: Remember People Power in May polls