It is unacceptable to overthrow a sitting president through murder, inciting rebellion, or sowing chaos in order to take over the highest position of the land.
This was the statement of Malacañang on the statements of former president Rodrigo Duterte against President Marcos on his predecessor's purported attempt to put her daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, into the presidency.
"Hindi katanggap-tanggap ang marahas na pang-aagaw ng kapangyarihan upang madaling maluklok bilang pangulo sa pamamagitan ng pagpaslang, panggugulo at pag-aalsa (The violent attempt to take over the presidency through murder, sowing chaos, and inciting rebellion is unacceptable)," Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a statement on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
Bersamin told the Duterte camp to "wait for the right time, follow the proper method."
The Palace official lamented that: "No motive is more selfish than calling for a sitting president to be overthrown so that your daughter can take over."
"And he will go to great and evil lengths, such as insulting our professional armed forces by asking them to betray their oath, for his plan to succeed," he added.
Bersamin pointed out that it is shocking that the former president is calling on the Armed Forces to launch a coup against the President.
He schooled Duterte in respecting the Constitution and desist from being irresponsible.
"The former president should respect the Constitution, not disobey it. He should desist from being as irresponsible as he has become," Bersamin said.
The Executive Secretary stressed that the "administration will not shirk from its sworn duty to govern and manage the affairs of the Filipino Nation according to the Constitution and the Rule of Law."
"It will defend its legacy before the Filipino People only by lawful means. The state will act resolutely to go against all unlawful attempts and challenges," Bersamin said.
In a press conference on Monday evening, Duterte stated that "there is a fracture in the government" and only the military can correct it, stressing that the military is the protector of the Constitution.
These statements came after the exchange of banters from the Vice President and Marcos on the former's death threat against the President which she issued over the weekend out of fear for her own security.
The Vice President threatened to have Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez assassinated if she, herself, gets killed. She has since backpedaled from her statement, saying it was more of a concern on the threat to her security.