Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano. AP FILE
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano believes that President Rodrigo Duterte was the real target when his top aide was dragged into the P 15.7 billion frigates deal controversy.
On Monday, the Senate committee on national defense began its probe on the controversy following reports that Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go allegedly intervened in the deal by favoring a South Korean supplier.
Cayetano lamented that Go’s name was “unjustly” dragged by Rappler and Inquirer, who reported about the deal.
“So tingin namin, marami sa amin sa Cabinet or ako personally ang target nito yung Presidente. Di ba remember highest rating ngayon ang military dahil sa Marawi at sa sakripisyng ginagawa nila?” he told reporters before the hearing.
“So meron talagang obvious attempt na targetin ang ating Pangulo then ang military so nadamay si Secretary Bong but obviously hindi sya ang main target dito… Pero mali pa rin yung info nila na sya ang nakilaam dito,” Cayetano added.
Asked who was targeting the President, Cayetano pointed to those people who want to bring down the Duterte administration.
“We know naman for a fact ‘di ba that internationally and locally na there’s a move talaga na maalis sya (Duterte). Whatever you wanna call it — destabilization o kritiko lang, I’m not saying everyone… meron talaga na iba ang pattern talaga ay maalis sya at mag take over yung Vice President.”
Asked again if there was a particular group targeting the President, Cayetano said this would be revealed during the hearing.
He did not also rule out, however, the possibility that the controversy about the frigates acquisition of the Navy could just be a “disagreement” among the military particularly the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“Pwedeng ano din, tini-take advantage lang noong ibang nang iintriga, sinakyan na lamang,” he further said.
Cayetano said he and other Cabinet members went to the Senate on their own personal initiatives to give their moral support to Go. /cbb