Palace backs Lorenzana: No credible ouster plot vs Duterte

TOKYO, Japan — Malacañang backed on Wednesday the remark of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana that there was no credible plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo maintained that were plots to unseat the President, but these were not credible because they did not have the support of the military.

Lorenzana on Tuesday ruled out any credible plot to oust the President, saying “maybe Malacanang has some information on small groups” wanting to unseat the President.

READ: No credible ouster plot vs Duterte — Lorenzana

“Lorenzana said there is no credible plot because there is no support from the military and the police. So there is no inconsistency there,” he told reporters here.

Panelo, who has released a matrix tagging several individuals wanting to oust the President, insisted that there were plots against the President but these were not credible.

“Ang sinasabi ni Presidente, merong plot. Wala naman siyang sinabing may military support or may PNP [Philippine National Police]. In other words, sa parte ni DND [Department of National Defense] secretary, it will not be realized kasi ang plot to be credible kailangan may military and police support,” he said.

[The President said there was a plot. He did not say that there was military or PNP support. In other words, on the part of the DND secretary, it will not be realized because for a plot to be credible it will need military and police support.]

“Walang inconsistency. He didn’t say na walang plot. Sabi niya lang na hindi credible kasi walang support,” he added. “Walang suporta sa military at pulis, pero may nagpaplano. Sabi ni Presidente may plot. So walang inconsistency.”

[There’s no inconsistency. He didn’t there was no plot. What he said was it was not credible because it had no support. There’s no military and police support, but some people are planning. The President said there was a plot. So there’s no inconsistency.]

(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)