LP tells Duterte: Focus on Marawi rehabilitation instead of destabilization talks

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte should focus on the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City instead of floating the possibility of a revolutionary government, members of the former ruling Liberal Party said on Tuesday.

Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said that Duterte should focus on the rehabilitation of the Islamic town which has been under siege since May 23 this year instead of "dwelling on baseless destabilization reports."

The government should work to provide Filipinos with more income and jobs, according to Pangilinan, the president of the LP.

"The government’s resources are wasted over fake news-based destabilization. It would be better if time is spent on something that will help the country, not cause more disruption," he said.

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Vice President Leni Robredo meanwhile urged the country's leaders to unite and help one another in addressing the problems besetting the nation.

She also expressed worries over accusations that some groups were moving to oust Duterte from office which prompted the president to warn that should things go out of hand he would declare a revolutionary government.

She also questioned the basis of such destabilization talks and said that these would just lead to division.

"Sana hindi irresponsible iyong pagsasabi. Kasi lalong nagpaparatang nang ganiyan, lalong hindi nagkakasundo-sundo, lalong gumugulo ang sitwasyon (I just hope that these statements would not be irresponsibly issued. The more accusations like this are released the more the situation becomes chaotic)," she said.

Duterte, during a speech at a federalism summit in Camarines Sur on Tuesday afternoon, reiterated that he had no plans to perpetuate himself in power despite his warning to opposition groups that he would establish a revolutionary government.

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Sen. Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV lauded the Armed Forces for the deaths of Isnilon Hapilon, the Islamic State-appointed leader in Southeast Asia, and Omar Maute, the remaining leader of the Maute group which led the attack on Marawi City.

Aquino said the deaths of the two meant that the country was safer for all Filipinos and could lead to the lifting of martial law in Mindanao and enhanced humanitarian and rehabilitation efforts in the Islamic lakeside town of 200,000.

The senator, a member of the Special Committee on Marawi City Rehabilitation, also expressed support for the return to normalcy and prosperity of local residents.

"We will fully support all efforts by the government to bring normalcy back to Marawi City and restore the city from the ravages of the fighting to its full glory," Aquino said.

Over the weekend, the president opened the possibility of declaring a revolutionary government should efforts to remove him result in anarchy and as calls for him to sign bank waivers that would open his accounts to investigation continued to mount.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio, a daughter of the president, claimed that the threat of destabilization was as real as the threat of extremism.

However, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, a member of the opposition bloc in the House, said that Carpio and the president were just imagining in claiming that the supposed moves were in the offing.