Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday dared former president Rodrigo Duterte and his son, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, to make public any shred of proof they have and back up their allegations against President Marcos.
Romualdez, the leader of the 310-strong House of Representatives, described the Dutertes’ claims as nothing more than “budol-budol stories” from Davao, saying they should refrain from making allegations that they cannot substantiate.
“So, unless you have proof na ‘yung mga alegasyon ninyo na kung bakit nananawagan dyan na sa ating mahal na Presidente Ferdinand R. Marcos na bumaba sa pwesto sana mag isip-isip muna kayo, mag-isip muna kayo at ilabas ‘yung mga pruweba. Kasi alam natin hindi totoo ang mga sinasabi ninyo,” the Speaker said during the Party Leaders Caucus that started late Sunday night. (Unless you have proof of your allegations as to why you want our dear President Ferdinand R. Marcos to step down, I hope you think first, think first and bring out the proof. Because we know what you are saying is not true.)
Mayor Duterte on Sunday night asked President Marcos – elected with the highest mandate in Philippine history with more than 31 million votes – to step down if he had “no love and aspirations for the country.”
Former president Duterte, meanwhile, accused the President of being on the so-called “narco-list” of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) — which the agency denied on Monday. “Uulitin ko, tigilan nyo na ‘yung mga budol-budol n’yo ‘di ba. Dapat seryoso na tayo at igalang na lang natin ang ating Presidente na nagtatrabaho ng maigi. Masipag sya at talagang tinatrabaho n’ya ‘yung magandang buhay para sa mga Pilipino,” the Speaker expressed. (I’ll say it again, stop your foolishness please. We should buckle down to work and just respect our President who is working hard. He is hardworking and really works for a better life for Filipinos)
“Sa pamilyang Duterte, siguro konting galang naman sa ating mahal na presidente tsaka sa pamilya n’ya. Noong panahon ng rehimen n’yo, iginalang naman kayo,” he added. (To the Duterte family, I appeal to you to please give respect for our dear president as well as his family. During your administration, you were respected.)
“Masyadong maaga naman ninyo gustong ipabagsak ang rehimen ng President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., very popular and he was elected with a bigger mandate than the former president. Kaya’t igalang naman natin ‘yan. ‘Yan po ang mandato ng taumbayan ng Pilipinas.” (You want to overthrow the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. too early, [he is] very popular and he was elected with a bigger mandate than the former president. So let’s respect that. That is the mandate of the Filipino people.)
Romualdez vehemently denied both the allegations of the elder Duterte and his son, saying nothing can be farther from the truth.
“Walang katotohanan ‘yan. Si Mr. Former President sabi niya nasa drug list, na-check natin na never na never na si President Ferdinand R. Marcos ay nailagay sa drug list. Kaya hindi ko alam kung nag iisto-istorya ka na naman. Tigilian mo na ‘yung budol-budol galing sa Davao,” Romualdez said. (That is not true. The former president said he [Mr. Marcos] was on the drug list, we checked [and found out] that President Ferdinand R. Marcos was never placed on the drug list. So I don’t know why you are inventing false stories. Stop your foolishness from Davao.)
He called out the elder Duterte for making such an allegation against President Marcos, “a hardworking and immensely popular president,” when he himself is facing criminal liability for acts done during his administration. “Please lang dapat magkaisa ang buong Pilipinas. Baka meron kayong mga concern or issues na kailangang harapin mo ‘yung batas na baka nilabag mo noon sa administrasyon mo,” the Speaker Romualdez said. (May I please appeal that we unite the Philippines. Maybe you have concerns or issues that you have to deal with the law that you may have violated during your administration.)
“Tigilan mo nalang ‘yan kasi ‘yung Presidente nagtatrabaho ng maigi at nakikita ng buong mundo nagkakaisa na ang Pilipinas, mukhang kayo lang dyan sa Davao ay gumagawa nalang ng mga istorya,” he continued. (Just stop [your foolishness] because the President is working hard and the whole world can see that the Philippines is united. It looks like you are the only ones in Davao making up stories.)