INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA
President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said it’s his political opponents and not him who have political ambitions and who were power hungry.
Duterte made the remarks as he blasted the “Yellows,” the political color of the former ruling Liberal Party (LP), saying they continue to criticize him because they could not accept defeat.
“These are just people who cannot accept defeat. Iniintriga ako sa lahat,” Duterte said in a speech in Cagayan de Oro.
Duterte, who ran on the campaign promise of stopping illegal drugs, criminality and corruption, garnered 16,601,997 votes, over 6.6 million more than his closest rival, LP candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.
The President had previously claimed that members of the LP were in an alliance with the communist rebels to oust him.
He slammed his political opponents for saying he wanted to stay long in power for declaring martial law and making a warning that he might declare a revolutionary government.
Duterte had warned that he would declare a revolutionary government if his critics’ attempt to destabilize the government escalates and causes trouble.
“I mean, I will serve during my time. Kung sabihin mo, mag-ambisyon ako ng…you must be crazy,” he said.
“Huwag kayo maniwala diyan na ambisyoso ako. On the dot ako. On the last day of my term, o earlier than that, I’ll step down. It is not because o – Lahat naman tao may ambisyon pero ‘yung mag-ambisyon ka… You’re being pictured to be one sa opposition. When you can invent that kind of scenario for your fellow men, this is – Ikaw ang may gusto. Kayo yung may mga ambisyon. Hindi ako,” he added.
In his over 22 years as Davao City mayor, the President said there was never an instance he overstayed in office.
“I have never exceeded – I’ve been elected mayor eight or seven times. There was never an instance in any of my term that I exceeded one day or 24 hours sa opisina ko. Days before umaalis na ako. Ini-install ko na ‘yung Vice Mayor, “You run the city. I am on my way out.” he said.
LP: Accusation lacks basis
The LP, through Vice President Leni Robredo, had denied that they were behind moves to remove Duterte.
She reiterated that the Duterte administration has no sufficient basis to blame the LP for such claims.
“Parating whipping boy iyong Liberal Party. Ako, tingin ko very unfair accusation iyon, kasi nakita niyo naman siguro na iyong lahat na oras namin at effort, sa pagtrabaho,” Robredo said recently at the sidelines of the launching of her office’s flagship program Angat Kabuhayan’s launch in Pasay City.