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| President Duterte |
By Alexis Romero
MANILA, Philippines - For the nth time, President Duterte said he does not care about alleged moves to oust him, as reports have emerged of a purported plot to force his resignation and pave the way for a takeover by Vice President Leni Robredo.
“Eh kung yan ang suwerte ko, pasensiya (If that’s my luck, then sorry). You tell me ousted, coup ‘d etat… So be it. Assassinate? So be it,” he said yesterday in remarks at the oath taking of new appointees in Malacañang.
He expressed his sentiment while talking about the drug problem which, he said, threatens to contaminate millions of Filipinos. His 36-minute speech was his first for the year.
“It has become a national security issue that is why I had to call in the Armed Forces to help,” he said, referring to the drug problem. “I lack personnel. I lack everything. So that’s the purpose, my purpose in life.”
The President did not make any reference to the so-called “Lenileaks,” or the controversy involving the leak of alleged email exchanges between the office of Robredo and some anti-Duterte individuals.
Last Sunday, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said he wanted the “Lenileaks” issue to be discussed at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting. He said he had asked National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. to look into the matter.
Esperon said the “Lenileaks” issue was not included in the agenda of their meeting yesterday.
“It happens that it is not one of the matters to be taken up. That just tells you that we have other more important matters (to discuss),” Esperon told reporters before the Cabinet meeting at Malacañang.
“It doesn’t mean also that if we don’t talk about it in the media, we don’t give importance to it. It is important in the sense that we have to know the veracity of some things, as they affect our stability,” he added.
Read the full story at The Philippine Star