Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines 鈥斕齅alaca帽ang听on Wednesday said that while there are indeed death threats against President听Benigno听Aquino III, the public should not be worried.
鈥淢eron pong mga ulat na ganyan pero sa pagkaalam namin walang seryosong threat (There are reported death threats but as far as I know there are no serious threats),鈥� Communications Secretary听Herminio听鈥淪onny鈥� Coloma Jr. told听Radyo听Inquirer 990AM.
The Secretary, however, refused to discuss the nature of the said threats.
Concern over the President鈥檚 safety and health increased after he became emotional during his fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday.
This was further bolstered when Senator Antonio听Trillanes听told media that retired generals close to former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria听Macapagal-Arroyo were plotting against Aquino.
But Lieutenant Colonel Ramon听Zagala, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson, said it wasn鈥檛 true that active members of the military were being recruited by retired generals.
Some pointed out that Aquino, during the听Sona, seemed to be giving a farewell speech.
Coloma, however, dispelled such speculations, adding that Aquino was not ill or was facing coup听d鈥檈tat听threat.
鈥淲ala听po听syang听karamdam听(He has no illness),鈥� he said.
Coloma earlier said that the tone of the President changed when he started deviating from the prepared speech and recalled the legacy of his parents who were key people who contributed to the downfall of the Marcos regime.
鈥淗e feels that he was given a new lease on life,鈥� Coloma explained, referring to the part of the speech when Aquino recalled his brush with death when he was ambushed in 1987.
鈥淪iguro听sense of fatalism听na听rin听in reality听isa听lang听naman听ang听buhay听ko听(Perhaps it was also a sense of fatalism, that in reality he only has one life,鈥� Coloma said.
He said Aquino was just thinking aloud and had even added that he knew there were people who could continue the reforms he had started.
鈥淭hose are baseless speculation. Hindi听lang听nila听naunwawaan听鈥榶ung听expression of sentiments听n鈥檡a听(They just did not understand the expression of his sentiments),鈥� he said of the rumors.
搁别濒颈别惫别诲听
听
Coloma said the President was relieved after delivering his听Sona.
鈥淯nang-una听he felt relieved听na听tapos听na.听 Two weeks ago 鈥榶ung听talumpati听nya听sa听DAP (First of all he felt relieved that it was over. It was just two weeks ago when he gave a speech on the Disbursement Acceleration Program).听And he also spent weeks analyzing the situation,鈥� he explained.
Among the issues hounding the Aquino administration was its implementation and defense of the DAP, which was declared partly unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
In an unexpected move, Aquino did not assail the SC ruling during his听Sona听but instead boasted of the projects funded by the now-defunct DAP.
The Secretary revealed that after the听Sona, Aquino hosted dinner at听Malaca帽ang听for his Cabinet members.
He said the President thanked all of those who helped him during days when he would stay up late to finish the speech.
Coloma said the whole听Sona听was authored by the President.
He said Aquino, when drafting his听Sona, would 鈥渧erbalize his thoughts鈥� so it could be taken down by his speechwriters. They would then go over the written text and Aquino would direct which parts should be revised.
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