Ex-Pres. Duterte asks military to guard PH from ‘fractured governance,’ calls Marcos addict anew

Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday took a jab anew at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., calling him a drug addict, and challenged the military to protect the constitution.

“There is a fractured governance sa Pilipinas ngayon (in the Philippines right now). Nobody can correct Marcos, nobody can correct Romualdez… There is no urgent remedy… It is only the military who can correct it,” Duterte said in a press conference.

Duterte also asked the military if it would continue to support Marcos if it knew he was a “drug addict.”

“Hanggang kailan kayo mag suporta ng drug addict na presidente?” Duterte asked.

(Until when will you support an addict president?)

“I challenge the whole military kasi (because) they're supposed to be the protector of the constitution,” he added.

In January, Duterte called  Marcos "bangag" (high on illegal drugs) during a prayer rally in Davao City.

Duterte also said the Congress and Marcos are “trying to be in cahoots attempting to change the constitution.”

“Mag transition si (Speaker) Martin (Romualdez) from speaker to parliamentary prime minister. Ceremonial president na lang si Marcos,” Duterte said.  

‘Insignificant’

Duterte also said the transfer of PhilHealth funds is a more pressing issue than Vice President Sara Duterte’s “assassination” remark to Marcos.

The former president was referring to the transfer of PhilHealth's "excess" funds of P89.9 billion to the National Treasury. 

“Insignificant yung nangyari kay Lopez pati kay Inday... Iyang threat, yang patay-patayan, pati rin itong loko-lokong Malacañang,” the elder Duterte said in a press conference.

(What happened to Zuleika Lopez, the Vice President’s chief-of-staff, and Inday is insignificant. As well as the assassination remark and the Malacañang’s response.)

The Vice President earlier clarified that her assassination statement was not implied as a threat. 

Her remarks were made during a virtual press conference where the younger Duterte slammed the House of Representatives order to transfer her chief of staff, Atty. Zulieka Lopez, from the House detention facility to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City. 

“Ang tingin ko na mas mabigat ng problema na dapat malaman ng Pilipino is nag hemorrhage ang country. Pati nga yung PhilHealth na hindi dapat sa gobyerno, contribution natin yan. That is the most dangerous, at dapat — P*tang in*ng estafa yan,” the former president said.

(I think a more serious problem that Filipinos should know is that the country has hemorrhage. PhilHealth is not for the government since it is our contribution. That is the most dangerous, and it should — Curse estafa.)

He added that he is more concerned with Lopez’s health than his daughter facing charges.

“Kay Inday, wala yun, kaya niya yan. Insignificant yan. Kasuhan nila si Inday eh ‘di kasuhan. Hindi naman makulong yan,”the former president said.

“I’m more concerned doon sa kaso ni Zuleika kasi she might have suffered from a heart attack,” he added.

(There’s nothing to worry about Inday. She can handle it. That’s insignificant. They can file charges against her. She will not be in jail. I’m more concerned with Zuleika since she might have suffered from a heart attack.)

Lopez skipped the Monday House panel probe on the budget use of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education due to "acute stress disorder." 

As a result, the House panel extended the contempt and accompanying detention from five to 10 days.  

GMA News Online is trying to get the side of Malacanang on the former president's remarks.—LDF, GMA Integrated News