No ‘yellow’ plot to oust Rody – LP

MANILA, Philippines - Membership in the once ruling Liberal Party has dwindled so much that what’s left can fit into a Volkswagen Beetle, so how can the LP even plot to oust President Duterte?

Acting LP president Francis Pangilinan asked this question yesterday as party leaders denied Duterte’s claim that they are out to remove him from office.

In a Facebook post, Pangilinan also pointed to a lettuce garden as his only “plot” as he maintained there was nothing to support the allegations made by the President.

“The alleged plot is untrue. There is no such plot. In fact, the bulk of the so-called yellows have abandoned the LP ship and are now card-carrying members of other parties such as the PDP (Partido Demokratiko Pilipino), NUP (National Unity Party) and even NPC (Nationalist People’s Coalition) and aligned with Malacañang,” Pangilinan said.

“Being critical of the burial of (former dictator Ferdinand) Marcos in the Libingan (ng mga Bayani) or being critical of the spate of extrajudicial killings does not mean we want Duterte ousted. We are in a democracy and dissent and rallies should be seen simply as such and should not be viewed as part of a so-called larger conspiracy,” he added.

Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon, LP vice chairman, said the reported plan to oust Duterte was unfounded.

KIKO’S PLOT: Liberal Party president Francis Pangilinan tends to his lettuce farm in Alfonso, Cavite in this photo posted on Facebook yesterday. ‘There is no LP plot or conspiracy. Meron lang ako lettuce plots sa farm,’ the former senator wrote in the caption.

“We respect the mandate of our people. But certainly we would state our positions on various issues that may not necessarily coincide with those of the President,” Drilon said.

He cited the party’s opposition to the burial of Marcos at the Libingan as among the issues where the LP and Duterte do not see eye to eye.

“So these are views that we express as a party and they have nothing to do with any plan allegedly to oust the President. We deny that categorically,” Drilon said.

Despite the alleged plots seeking to oust him, Duterte remains confident that he has the support of the majority of Filipinos, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential communications assistant secretary Ana Marie Banaag said there is also no need to conduct loyalty checks among the military and the police.

“The President is very secure, he knows that he’s working, he knows that he has the support of the military and majority of the Filipino people,” Banaag said in a press briefing yesterday.

Sen. Leila de Lima reminded the President that the Philippines is a free country and so every Filipino has a right to state his opinion about issues.?“What is the President talking about? May I ask him what exactly are the yellows doing to purportedly oust him?” De Lima said.

“Are the acts of opposing the Marcos burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, the death penalty, EJKs (extrajudicial killings), the lowering of the minimum age of criminal responsibility and misogynistic acts and behavior indicative of a plot or plan to oust the President? Of course not,” she added.

She said that the LP and its allies are simply weighing in on issues of deep public interest; they are not doing this to benefit any political figure or promote any political agenda. 

“Labeling people as ‘yellows’ does not, cannot and should not unclothe them of their rights and duties as citizens. We, as much as everyone else in this nation, are the President’s people. When we speak, should he not listen to us, instead of silencing us or hurling unfounded and paranoid accusations against us?” De Lima said.