Duterte sure police, military won’t stage coup to topple him – Palace

President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (File photo from Philippine Daily Inquirer)

President Rodrigo Duterte dared the military and police to stage a mutiny against his government because he is confident that state forces will not plot a coup d’etat to overthrow him, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday.

Duterte, in a televised one-on-one tête-à-tête with Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Tuesday, challenged the military to join his fierce critic, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and oust him if they were no longer satisfied with his leadership.

“Ibig sabihin kampante po ang Presidente na wala namang suporta na manggagaling sa hanay ng militar para patalsikin siya sa pwesto. So ‘yung kanyang seeming incitement is actually an expression of confidence na wala namang susunod po kay Sen. Trillanes at sa kanyang mga kasama,” Roque said.

(This means that the President is confident that there will be no support from the military to oust him from power. So his seeming incitement is actually an expression of confidence that no one will follow Trillanes and his comrades.)

“I think, the President, by saying so, remains confident na walang banta sa kanyang administrasyon at wala namang sasama sa mga komunista at tsaka doon sa mga nagbabalak na patalsikin siya,” he added.

(I think, the President, by saying so, remains confident that there is no threat to his administration and that no one will join the communists and those that want him to be ousted.)

On Tuesday, Duterte said he has evidence to prove that his political opponents, the communists, and the Magdalo group were conspiring to overthrow him.  /kga

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