MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte is urging political parties to follow the law and shun violence, warning them that the government won’t allow terrorism to mar this year’s elections.
Duterte assured candidates that he won’t side with anybody as his administration performs its duty of maintaining law and order.
“Our appeal to our allies in our party and to the other side is for us to follow the rule of law... I will not side with anybody. We will be neutral and that goes for the entire economic and political setup... We are not here to do wrong,” the President said during a pre-recorded public address aired last Monday.
“We will not countenance nor allow disorder nor intimidation, nor violence. We will remain neutral and we’ll see to it that the true will of the people will prevail in this election,” he added.
Duterte said his duty to maintain law and order was the reason why he refused to endorse a candidate for president.
The PDP-Laban faction led by Duterte is supporting the candidacy of presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. but the President has distanced himself from the endorsement.
However, Duterte is supporting the vice presidential bid of his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is running under the Marcos-led UniTeam Alliance.
He is also endorsing 17 senatorial candidates and the local candidates of PDP-Laban.Duterte also advised candidates who fear for their safety to contact the regional police directors and to avoid conflict, especially the use of firearms.
Politicians with unlicensed firearms would go to prison, he added. “Remember, we in the government won’t allow terrorism during the election. We won’t side with anyone... Believe it or not, this is for real, we will enforce the law to make the election peaceful,” the President said.
Assurance
In a related development, Malacañang gave assurance that security forces are ready to maintain order amid fears that there might be destabilization if Marcos wins the presidency.
“Our government and our uniformed personnel are ready to maintain order in our country,” acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said yesterday.
Last Sunday, presidential candidates Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former defense secretary Norberto Gonzales raised the possibility of “destabilization” under the presidency of Marcos, who is currently the frontrunner in surveys on voters’ preference.
Lacson said Marcos should not become the next president because the country would “end up in destabilization.” Gonzales shared a similar view, saying there are many issues tied to the Marcos family.
Term extension
While President Duterte is raring to retire from politics at the end of his term, he might stay in office past June 30 in the event of a destabilization of the elections, Cabinet Secretary Melvin Matibag, secretary general of the Duterte-led PDP-Laban faction, said yesterday.
“We’ll have to maintain the status quo and what is the status quo? The status quo is President Duterte who’s leading the nation right now and who has been calling for a clean, honest and peaceful election,” he said at a press conference.
The ruling party’s president, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, echoed Matibag’s statement, adding Duterte might have no other option but to stay beyond his term if elections are sabotaged and no one among the presidential candidates is elected.
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos on Monday said they would validate reports of an alleged plot to sabotage the elections as claimed by three presidential candidates during a press conference on Sunday.