Duterte tells Marcos he might follow his father, says military should protect Constitution

Former president Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday blasted the people's initiative to amend the Constitution, accusing the Marcoses of trying to perpetuate themselves in power and calling President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. "bangag."

Duterte spoke at a prayer rally in Davao City, held on the same day Marcos held his Bagong Pilipinas kickoff rally at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.

He also accused Marcos of being a drug addict and said what happened to his father, Ferdinand Sr.—who was ousted from power in 1986 by the People Power Revolution—might happen to him as well.

"Nung ako mayor, pinakitaan ako ng evidence ng PDEA. Doon sa listahan, nandoon yung pangalan mo," he said, referring to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. "Ayaw kong sabihin yan kasi magkaibigan tayo. Kung di man magkaibigan, magkakilala. Eh ikaw eh, pumapasok kayo nang alanganin. Mr. President, baka susunod ka sa dinaanan ng tatay mo. Diyan ako takot. Ayaw ko mangyari sa iyo 'yan. Ako lang nagmamakaawa kasi it will divide the nation at madugo itong panahong ito," he added.

GMA News Online has reached out to the Palace for comment.

Duterte—who spoke mainly in Tagalog and Taglish, with some moments in English and Bisaya—claimed that the motive behind the push for a people's initiative is to strengthen the Marcoses' hold on power, and unleashed a wave of vitriol against his successor.

"Huwag kayo magpaloko. Alam mo, parliament, ang bisyo niyan, karamihan galing kay [First Lady] Liza Marcos, pati kay [Speaker Martin] Romualdez. Si Bongbong, bangag iyan. That’s why sinasabi ko na sa inyo ngayon, si Bongbong Marcos bangag noon, ngayong presidente na, bangag ang ating presidente. Kayong mga military, alam ninyo 'yan. Lalo na 'yung nasa Malacañang. Alam ninyo. The Armed Forces of the Philippines, alam ninyo. May drug addict tayo na presidente, p-ng inang iyan," he said.

Calls on the military

Duterte also called on the military and the police to protect the Constitution against alleged threats: "Kung nakikinig kayo, gusto niyo iwasan ang dugo, kayo lang makakapigil nito. Tigilin niyong kalokohan na 'yan or yung mga rally na ganito will multiply all over the Philippines," he said.

"Alam ninyo kung hindi na talaga ito mapigilan, andiyan ang military at police, makinig kayo… pag-aralan ninyo kung anong pinapakain nila sa taumbayan, at pagka nakita ninyo kung ano ang mali, you correct it. Nasa inyong kamay na 'yan," he also said.

He also brought up his case at the International Criminal Court in his tirade against Marcos.

"Ayun ang bakit ako nagkaroon ng kaso ng ICC. Sabi nila pinapagpatay ko daw 'yung mga drug pusher at drug addict. Mabuti na lang wala na ako sa pwesto baka kasali ka pa, Mr. President," he said.

"Pinilit ninyo kami, kayo yung nag-ano…kayo yung…sa Bisaya, kinikitoy mo ang Pilipino. You are testing the waters...You are pushing to the limits ang pasensya ng Pilipino. Huwag na huwag mong gawin 'yun. Huwag mong gawin 'yan, tayo magkagulo. Pag di namin napilitan kayo sa mga rallies, sa mga boses ang sentimiyento namin…sorry…ang sinasabi ko sa military… naghe-hemmorhage ang bayan. Gastos dito, gastos doon. Tapos kung mag-ispeech, ang pinagusapan and p-g inang pobreng Pilipino. Ang military, maawa kayo sa bayan. Pag di namin kaya, gawin na ninyo. Gawin na ninyo, kawawa ang Pilipino."

'What's wrong with the Constitution?'

Duterte also turned his sights on Congress.

"P-ng ina ninyo, wala akong tiwala sa inyo," he said. "Wala kayong prinsipyo, mukhang pera kayong lahat. 'Yan ang totoo. Kaya ang gusto ko pag nagka-letse-letse na, pumasok ang military…palitan ninyo lahat, arestuhin ninyo kasi nagsasayang ng pera at yung ginagastos nila is a fraud. Swindling ang ginawa nila. You must account for the wasted money or the money that you bought the signature of the Filipino…bribery," he said.

He said that the Constitution is supposed to be "a permanent thing."

"Ang batas na binigay ng Constitution sa Congress, sa lawmakers, they can make notes everyday, modify, change it if you want. Every week. OK lang 'yan. Huwag niyo pakialaman ang Constitution kasi yun ang bahay opisyal ng Pilipino...anak ka ng...bakit pumasok sa utak ninyo 'yang people’s initiative? Anong nakain ninyo? There’s nothing wrong with the Constitution right now."

He added later, "Ano ba, what’s wrong with the Constitution, tell me, kung hindi 'yung inyong ambisyon? The real purpose nitong constitutional changes sa people’s initiative is really to perpetuate those who are in power."

Vice President Sara Duterte, who attended the Bagong Pilipinas rally but left before Marcos arrived, flew to Davao City in order to speak at the event, where she was also seen in the company of Senator Imee Marcos, the President's sister.

Also at the Duterte-led rally, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte—former president Duterte's son and the Vice President's brother—had his own choice words for Marcos, saying he should remember the fate of Russia's ruling Romanov family and Italian strongman Benito Mussolini, all of whom were ousted from power and killed. — with Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/BM, GMA Integrated News