Manila---President Rodrigo Duterte has punch forward for the
first time in a campaign rally the opposition slate of Vice President Leni
Robredo, mocking them 'Otso Diretso, papuntang impyerno' for doing nothing but
only critizing the current admin; in response, Robredo said the coalition have
proven record and it's a good sign that the president notice them.
Speaking in a campaign trail Sunday before his ruling party
the PDP-Laban, Duterte unleashed his reprimand to opposition senatorial bets
led by former Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas who have done
nothing but criticized and doubted the achievements of his administration.
“Sinong ipalit mo diyan sa ‘yang ‘Otso Diretso’ papuntang
impiyerno? Totoo lang, hindi ako na-ano. Walang ginawa ‘yang mga tao na ‘yan
puro criticize, hindi pa maniwala,” he said while getting applause from the
crowd.
The Otso Diretso slate is composed of Senator Bam Aquino,
Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano, former Interior Secretary
Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and former Quezon Representative Erin Tañada.
The other four who completed the eight-man coalition are
Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, Marawi civic leader Samira Gutoc, human
rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno and election lawyer Romulo Macalintal.
In the middle of his speech, Duterte asked his staff for a
list of the Otso Diretso candidates, belittling the competence of each bet
naming Roxas, reelectionist Senator Bam Aquino, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano,
former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay and lawyer Romulo Macalintal.
He said the administration bets named former presidential
political adviser Francis Tolentino and former Interior and Local Government
Rafael Alunan III were more qualified senators than their rivals.
“Ngayon kung hindi niyo iboto ‘yan, ewan ko lang. Ipalit
ninyo dito? Roxas, Alejano, Aquino, Hilbay, Macalintal. Doon ‘yan sa amin.
Magpunta ‘yan doon sa Lanao. Ah wala, putulan ko ng ulo mga ‘to. Walang kwenta
mga tao. Wala namang nagawa para sa aming mga Moro,” he said.
Duterte further pointing out to Roxas, called him a braggart
due to questionable track record in public service.
“Mar Roxas. Susmaryosep. Hambugero man ito...Sabi ko, tama
ka na, Mar, yaya ka lang. Ewan ko kung gawain ninyong senador. Wala na ito.
Napakita na niya. Kung 'yung kampanya ipinakita niya ang the best niya, hindi
siya manalo kay [former Special Assistant to the President] Bong [Go], sa totoo
lang,” Duterte said.
“Ano mang nagawa ni Mar? Kayo tanungin ko kayo. Kayong
nag-Liberal, magtanong lang ako sa’yo, anong nagawa niya? Ano ang nagawa niya
naiwan niya sa bayan?," he added.
The President also accused Roxas of political turncoatism
for holding different Cabinet posts in previous administrations without any
good track record.
During Estrada administration, Roxas was the Trade secretary
and then switched to senatorial race in 2004 under former President and now
House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, then served as Transportation and
Interior secretary under former President Benigno Aquino III.
Nadaanan man niya lahat 'yan. Tapos porma. Ano ang nagawa
niya? Bigyan mo ako isa. Maski isa lang,” he further said.
He also drawn his attention to reelectionist Senator Bam
Aquino, saying he only just shares an uncanny resemblance with his uncle the
late senator Benigno Aquino Jr. with also questionable legislative record.
“Bam Aquino. Alam mo maski ano ka, Bam, malayo ka sa...
Kamukha ka lang. Pero ‘yung...Ano bang significant na nagawa mo? What have you
done that is really impressive? Puro kayo oposisyon, puro kayo saway,” he said.
Duterte also affirmed that Tañada, who is a member of the
Liberal Party, was a leftist.
“Erin Tañada? Left. And proud sila diyan sa left. They think
that it’s popular. Kita mo kakapal ng mukha, nagawa pa ng ticket Otso Diretso?”
he stated.
Duterte likewise warned the voters against committing a
mistake of voting Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, citing the history of unsuccessful
mutinies of their group led by then-Navy officer and now Senator Antonio
Trillanes IV against the Arroyo administration, Duterte said Alejano had made
no sense in his statements for pushing the chief executive’s impeachment.
“Alejano, walang sense talaga magsalita. Marunong
mag-English kasi PMAer eh. Lelechonin talaga ‘yan sila doon,” he said.
Duterte said Diokno was nothing to the eloquency of his
father, the late former Senator Jose W. Diokno.
“Kalayo niya sa tatay niya. 'Yung si W. Diokno. 'Yun ang
kuyaw. Pero ito, wala ito. Tignan mo magsalita. Wala. Walang ka ano. Maski
mag-istorya siguro ito ng impyerno, masusunog kami doon. Kawawa naman kami
kung... Hindi mo madala ang gobyerno,” he said.
As for Macalintal, Duterte said: “Abugado ka lang kung may
pera ka. Papasok diyan wala kang pera.”
The President, on the other hand, skip to attack Marawi
civic leader Samira Gutoc, the only woman in the opposition slate.
“Si Samira, babae man ‘yan, ayaw ko magsalita diyan. Ang
rule ay pagka babae kalaban mo, you just shut up. Samira Ali Gutoc. So I have
nothing to say to you, ma’am,” he said.
Meanwhile, with all the hurling of the President, VP Robredo
admitted she felt happy as she treated this to gaining more public awareness.
"Feeling ko the mere fact na Presidente na mismo ang
pumansin, inisa-isa iyong mga kandidato, pagpapatunay na nagpi-pick up iyong
mga kandidato. Magandang senyales," she said in an ambush interview in
Bulacan.
Robredo said it was the President’s choice not to be
impressed by their bets. But she said, their candidates speak for themselves,
saying it was the basis of how they were selected to be part of Otso Diretso.
"Meron itong mga track record na pinanindigan. In fact,
'yun ang basehan bakit silang 8 ang napili," the Vice-President said.
Contrary to the speech of the President, Robredo said 7 of
the 8 Otso Diretso candidates have standing track record including Romulo
Macalintal, Gary Alejano, Erin Tanada, Pilo Hilbay, Mar Roxas, Bam Aquino and
Chel Diokno.
The president, however is scheduled to attend another
administration rally in Abra this Tuesday for his continual tour around the
country to campaign for his ruling party. He had earlier attended the major
campaign rallies in Bulacan, Cebu and Zamboanga.
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