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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider What dictatorship? Abalos says Duterte just imagining things

What dictatorship? Abalos says Duterte just imagining things

Published Feb 25, 2025 08:16 am

At A Glance

  • Former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Benhur Abalos dismissed former president Rodrigo Duterte's claim that the Marcos administration was headed toward a dictatorship.

20250225_154426.jpgBenhur Abalos (left), former president Rodrigo Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

A figment of the imagination.

That's how former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Benhur Abalos described former president Rodrigo Duterte's claim that the Marcos administration was headed toward a dictatorship.

"Alam mo, kathang-isip lang yan. Kathang isip yan (You know, that's just a figment of the imagination. A figment of the imagination)," Abalos, a member of the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate, said in a recent interview.

Abalos said President Marcos simply wasn't the dictator type.

"Unang una, alam mo hindi ganun ang ating Pangulo. Hindi nga nagmumura yung tao, ni hindi nga nagagalit (First of all, you know our President isn't that type. He neither curses nor gets angry)," he said.

"Pangalawa, we have enough laws… at pangatlo, yung direksiyon ng ating Pangulo mismo. Anong diktadurya? Wala nga eh (Second, we have laws...and third, it's the direction of the President himself. What dictatorship? There's no such thing)," explained the "senatoriable".

"Maski anong sabihin mo, andiyan lang siya eh. Naka-focus lang siya sa trabaho niya lalo na sa ekonomiya at sa governance na ginagawa niya (Whatever you say, he's just there. He's focused on his job especially on the economy and in terms of his governance)," Abalos said.

"Ako na ang nagsasabi na kathang-isip lang yan (I'm telling you, it's just a figment of the imagination)," he reiterated.

Ex-president Duterte had claimed that President Marcos would declare martial law just to stay in power and ensure the impeachment of his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte

Solons call out Duterte

President Marcos' allies in the House of Representatives have also called out the former leader for making such claim.

“Yung pagdeklara ng martial law, fake news ulit. Hello, fake news, Mr. Fake News. Wag naman puro fake news na lang lumalabas sa bunganga niyo, palitan niyo naman,” House Deputy Majority Leader La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V said.

(The supposed declaration of martial law, that's another fake news. Hello, fake news, Mr. Fake News. Would you try something else aside from spewing fake news from your mouth?)

For his part, Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said that the impeachment case against the Vice President was anchored on solid legal grounds.

Adiong stressed that 215 lawmakers had found sufficient grounds to move forward with the case when they signed the impeachment complaint.

“But the impeachment, if you go to the merits of the case, 215 complainants – members of this House–said that the VP deserves a day in court,” he added.

He noted that the charges against Duterte were tied to her alleged misuse of confidential funds and public threats against high-ranking officials, not political rivalry.

“And yung mga kaso naman niya (As for her cases), it’s not really connected to her partisanship or which party she belongs to. These are brought about by the allegations and violation of the joint circular when it comes to the utilization of the confidential fund,” he said.

Related Tags

Martial Law Benhur Abalos matalinong boto 2025 Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas dictatorship Rodrigo Duterte
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