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| President Rodrigo Duterte gestures with his fist while having his photo taken during the celebration of the Urban Poor Solidarity Week held in Mandaluyong City on Dec. 7, 2016. PPD/Rey Baniquet | By Alexis Romero |
MANILA, Philippines — Despite alleged plots to oust him, President Rodrigo Duterte remains confident that he has the support of majority of the Filipinos, Malacañang said on Thursday.
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 at a press briefing.
Last Wednesday, Duterte claimed that "yellows" or people identified with the previous administration are seeking to oust him because they cannot accept defeat.
Yellow is the campaign color of the Liberal Party (LP), the political affiliation of former president Benigno Aquino II|. It is also the color of groups who opposed the dictatorship of former President Ferdinand Marcos.
"The yellows, you stage demonstrations, you want me out because you cannot accept defeat," Duterte said during a forum on corruption a Malacañan.
Banaag said Filipino-American community leader Loida Nicolas-Lewis has been calling for the ouster of Duterte, something that the president has been talking about a few months ago.
"The president raised that matter about Ms. Lewis, July or August and nobody was talking about it, nobody believed it. And now, Ms. Lewis is going out in the open and saying let's oust President Duterte," Banaag said.
"And perhaps in his mind and from other sources he may know that, there is something going on up there, a plot against him. A plot to oust him, he knows—the president had been in politics for many years. So he knows what—whenever he says something about ousting or plotting against him," he added.
Lewis told ABS-CBN News that she is not plotting a coup against Duterte but wants the president to resign because of his failure to fulfill his promise to solve the drug menace in six months.
When asked if the president is making any moves to counter the attempts to remove him from office, Banaag said: "Not necessarily, the President is very—the President is very secure, he knows that he working well."
When pressed if Duterte believes that Robredo is involved in the supposed plans to unseat him, Banaag replied: "Well the only reason that the president said is irreconcilable differences. So I think we leave it at that."
Robredo, a member of the LP, resigned as Duterte's housing chief last Monday due to "irreconcilable differences" with the president.
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 at a press briefing.
Last Wednesday, Duterte claimed that "yellows" or people identified with the previous administration are seeking to oust him because they cannot accept defeat.
"The yellows, you stage demonstrations, you want me out because you cannot accept defeat," Duterte said during a forum on corruption a Malacañan.
Banaag said Filipino-American community leader Loida Nicolas-Lewis has been calling for the ouster of Duterte, something that the president has been talking about a few months ago.
"The president raised that matter about Ms. Lewis, July or August and nobody was talking about it, nobody believed it. And now, Ms. Lewis is going out in the open and saying let's oust President Duterte," Banaag said.
"And perhaps in his mind and from other sources he may know that, there is something going on up there, a plot against him. A plot to oust him, he knows—the president had been in politics for many years. So he knows what—whenever he says something about ousting or plotting against him," he added.
Lewis told ABS-CBN News that she is not plotting a coup against Duterte but wants the president to resign because of his failure to fulfill his promise to solve the drug menace in six months.
When asked if the president is making any moves to counter the attempts to remove him from office, Banaag said: "Not necessarily, the President is very—the President is very secure, he knows that he working well."
When pressed if Duterte believes that Robredo is involved in the supposed plans to unseat him, Banaag replied: "Well the only reason that the president said is irreconcilable differences. So I think we leave it at that."
Robredo, a member of the LP, resigned as Duterte's housing chief last Monday due to "irreconcilable differences" with the president.
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