Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada JOSEPH VIDAL/SENATE SMU
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Monday said Davao Del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez鈥檚 call for the 鈥渨ithdrawal of support鈥� to President Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr. is uncalled for.
Alvarez, in a rally in Davao del Norte on Sunday, encouraged the 鈥渨ithdrawal of support鈥� to the chief executive, saying doing so would be tantamount to supporting 鈥渢he provision in the Constitution protecting the people and the state.鈥�
READ: PNP to see if ex-Pres. Duterte鈥檚 camp may be held liable for sedition
In the same rally, former President Rodrigo Duterte along with his camp aired their opposition to Marcos administration鈥檚 fresh bid for Charter change.
Marcos鈥� way of dealing with the country鈥檚 foreign affairs did not also escape Duterte and his team鈥檚 criticism.
READ: Solons: Alvarez liable for sedition for withdrawal of support remark
Did not sit well
But Estrada, head of the Senate鈥檚 panel on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, admitted that the congressman鈥檚 remarks did not sit well with him.
鈥淭hat is uncalled for. For me, that is uncalled for,鈥� said Estrada in a phone patch interview. 鈥淗e鈥檚 (Marcos is) doing everything to protect our territory,鈥� he added.
In the same interview, Estrada said the Philippines need to 鈥済ive attention to [its] allies,鈥� believing that talking to China alone would 鈥渄o no good.鈥�
鈥淭hey bully us again and again,鈥� he added.
Following Alvarez鈥檚 controversial call, some House lawmakers said the former speaker can 鈥渇ace sedition complaints鈥� over his remarks.
The Philippine National Police said it is also now studying whether or not Alvarez鈥檚 statement may be considered 鈥渟editious鈥� or not.