DAVAO CITY – Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte reminded President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday, January 28, that his father, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, approved the burial of his father, President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery) in Taguig City in 2016.
“Inyong amahan gipalubong sa among amahan. Kana nalang jud unta pero wala gyod. Na wad-an kog respeto ninyo (My father allowed your father to be buried. That alone should have sufficed, but you really (didn’t think about it). I have completely lost respect for you),” said Mayor Duterte during a prayer rally in San Pedro Square here.
MAYOR Duterte (Ivy Tejano)
Mayor Duterte said the International Criminal Court (ICC) – a foreign judicial body – entered the country after the administration changed as part of its continuous inquiry into the deaths resulting from former President Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
Mayor Duterte complained how Marcos treated his father considering all what he did for the country.
He also said that the arrival of Americans in the country amid tensions with China put the country in peril.
“’Yan pagpasok ng Americans dito (With the entry of the Americans here), Mr. President is already endangering the lives of innocent Filipinos. Kung mag giyera kayo taga-Luzon una mamomroblema diyan (Luzon will be the first to face problems if there is a war),” he said.
Mayor Duterte said there was a clear campaign against illegal drugs and criminality when his father was the president. He said the campaign brought peace, security, and order to the country, unlike today’s administration, where syndicates are back to their business.
“My father is already retired. I grew up watching FPRRD doing nothing but only what is best for everyone. I rarely see him. We rarely talk because he keeps chasing his dreams to give the people of Davao City and the Philippines a better future,” Mayor Duterte said.
Mayor Duterte said the current administration is pushing People’s Initiative (PI) to enable them to stay on top. He added that they are power-tripping through money, influence, and power that they have.
“Nothing will ever change if we keep allowing those tactics. They will use money to buy votes and manipulate stories, then, we will end up back to how things were before. It has not even been a year yet, and there is this instability in the current administration,” he said.
Mayor Duterte urged Marcos to reflect on the events of 1986, referring to the EDSA People Power Revolution that ousted his father.
He said people are unhappy with the administration as the president is lazy and lacks compassion. He added that all the issues he is causing are oppressing the people and prioritized self-preservation in politics instead of doing their responsibility to the entire country.
The former President expressed frustration after learning that associates of the First Family were purportedly involved in the nationwide campaign for the PI to amend the Constitution. He said that he might consider the direction his administration is heading.
The elder Duterte expressed disappointment with the administration and added that if everything fails, he will direct the military to remove Marcos from his post and run again for president by God’s grace.
“Mr. President, baka susunod ka sa dinaanan ng tatay mo. Itong araw na to ang kinatatakutan ko. Diyan ako natatakot (You might follow the path your father took. I fear for this day to come. I am on that because) it will divide the nation,” former President Duterte said.
The former Chief Executive, along with his three children – Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte – led the rally.
Also in attendance during the event were Sen. Imee Marcos, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, Rep. Duterte’s sons – Omar, Barangay Buhangin, Davao City captain, and Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte II – and supporters of the Duterte family from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.