Koko notes sustained attacks vs Duterte to ‘terminate presidency’

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Citing the “sustained” attacks against President Rodrigo Duterte, Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III could not help but suspect that there really is indeed an effort to “terminate this presidency at the soonest possible time.”

Unlike the President, however, Pimentel said he has no information or intelligence report to support his own suspicions.

“But ako (me) personally, I could also feel that there’s a sustained attack against the President. Parang wala na s’yang ginawang tama (It’s like as if he has not done anything good),” the Senate leader told reporters on Friday.

“Baka nga (Perhaps) one way to explain this is there’s really an effort or a plan to terminate this presidency at the soonest possible time. What is that…? Destabilization ang tawag du’n (You call that destabilization),” he said.

Pimentel made the remarks when sought for comment on Duterte’s claim that Vice President Leni Robredo and Senators Leila de Lima and Antonio Trillanes IV were planning to oust him.

READ: Duterte thinks Trillanes, De Lima, Robredo planning to unseat him

The Senate leader could not say, however, if Robredo, De Lima and Trillanes were working together or part of any destabilization plot against the President.

Pimentel was nevertheless convinced that Robredo had made at least three “inaccurate” and “misleading” claims in her six-minute video message to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

He said he watched the video and noted the following “misleading” claims of the Vice President: First, that all 7,000 reported deaths in the country were victims of alleged summary executions; That Filipinos now are helpless and hopeless; and third, that there was a “palit-ulo” (exchange of heads) scheme where a family member is  being taken by police if they could not find their target drug suspects.

“Totoo ba yun? Hindi naman ah. (Is that true? I don’t think so)” Pimentel said of Robredo’s claim that all 7,000 deaths were victims of summary executions.

As to the Vice President’s statement that Filipinos are “helpless and hopeless,” the Senate leader asked: “Totoo ba yun? (Is that true) I mean do we feel the general helplessness and hopelessness?”

Pimentel then urged Robredo to just clarify her statements so she would not be accused that she was part of any destabilization plots against the President.

READ: Speaking up vs killings not a destabilization move – Robredo

Asked if Robredo’s “inaccurate” and “misleading” claims could be used as grounds to impeach her, the Senate leader said he would not comment on it as he could be a potential judge should an impeachment complaint filed against the Vice President reaches the Senate.

“I-clarify na lang n’ya what she meant so para na s’yang si President na clarifying her statements. Kahit klarong-klaro na ang salita, you have to clarify kasi ‘yun ang narinig ko, 7, 000 victims of summary execution. Mali ‘yata ‘yun,” he further said.

(She should clarify what she meant, like what the President does with his statements. Even if her words are clear, she should still clarify her statement because I heard her claim 7,000 people were victims of summary execution. I don’t think that is correct.) IDL/rga