Former president Rodrigo Duterte (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Malacañang photo, Facebook)

Former president Rodrigo Duterte's call for the military to “protect the Constitution” is yet another diversionary tactic meant to cover the Filipinos' eyes from the alleged fund misuse of his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte.

Thus, said members of the so-called “Young Guns” bloc of the House of Representatives, a day after the elder Duterte’s late night press conference wherein he castigated the Marcos administration.

“Well, this is another diversionary tactic para pagtakpan ang totoong issue na kinakaharap ng ating Bise Presidente,” said Zambales 1st district Rep. Jay Khonghun in a press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

(Well, this is another diversionary tactic to cover up the real issue facing our Vice President.)

“Sa tingin natin, sa sobrang bigat ng mga isyu ngayon ng ating Vice President eh kailangan niya ng tulong ng kaniyang ama para tulungan ‘yung anak na pagtakpan kung ano man ‘yung kinaharap ng ating Vice President,” he added.

(We think that with the weight of our Vice President's issues right now, she needs her father's help to help cover up whatever it is that our Vice President is facing.)

Khonghun is a vice chairperson of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability—the panel investigating the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) under the younger Duterte’s term as secretary.

The Luzon lawmaker pointed out that the country does not need any more rhetoric to fuel divide among Filipinos.

“Isa lang ang masasabi natin, i-explain ang niya kung paano ginamit ang confidential funds ‘yun na ‘yun,” he said, referring to the Vice President.

(I can only say one thing, explain how the confidential funds were used.)

On Monday evening, former president Duterte said the current government was “fractured”, and reiterated his unsubstantiated claim that President Marcos was a “drug addict”.

“There is a fractured governance sa Pilipinas ngayon (in the Philippines right now). Nobody can correct Marcos, nobody can correct [Speaker Martin] Romualdez. There is no urgent remedy. It is only the military who can correct it,” said Duterte.

Assistant Majority Leader and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon stressed that such remarks are unbecoming of a former president, who also served as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)

“Alam po ‘yan ni PRRD bilang isang dating commander-in-chief na isa sa pinaka-ayaw mong mangyari ay kumalas ng suporta ng ating mga militar,” Bongalon said. 

(PRRD knows that as a former commander-in-chief that one of the crucial things you don't want to happen is to lose support of our military.)

This inflammatory statement from Duterte moves the country farther from achieving peace and unity, he said.

“Mas lalo mo pang hinihikayat na magkaroon ng gulo at away sa ating bansa,” added Bongalon.

(You’re now encouraging even more trouble and dispute in our country.)

1-RIDER Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez, for his part, expressed his trust and confidence that the military will stay true to their oath to uphold the Constitution.

“Yung order na ‘yun is very much against the Constitution, so I don’t think even the AFP will take that seriously,” said Gutierrez.

(That order is very much against the Constitution, so I don't think even the AFP will take that seriously.)