Bato: Nothing seditious in Duterte’s call for military action

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ronald dela Rosa finds nothing seditious in former president Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the military to step in and fix the “fractured governance” of President Marcos.

In a chance interview at the Senate on Wednesday, Dela Rosa said Duterte did not call outright for the military to stage a coup against the government.

“For me, it’s not seditious. He did not mention any coup or any attack against Malacañang,” Dela Rosa, first national police chief during the Duterte administration, said.

Duterte merely reminded the military of its role of protecting the Constitution when he criticized the Armed Forces for supporting a “drug addict” President, Dela Rosa said.

“I agree with him when he laid down on the table the available options for the military, about their role to defend the Constitution,” Dela Rosa said. “That is the military’s role, to stabilize the country, not destabilize it. They are the ultimate defenders of the people.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Bong Go has denied allegations during the House of Representatives quad committee investigation that he is friends with Pharmally scam and drug suspect Allan Lim or Lin Weixiong.

In a press briefing yesterday, Go slammed the House for implicating him in the drug matrix.

“I am not close to any drug lords. I and former president Rodrigo Duterte hate drugs and drug lords,” he said. “I am not close to Allan Lim and I am not involved in illegal drugs.”

Go denied the allegations that Duterte is involved in the illegal drug syndicate through former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang.

“Duterte even said that he would kill drug lords,” Go said.

He slammed the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the House for their “irresponsible, rehash, and malicious attempt to establish guilt by association.”

“It really is election time, when people would destroy the reputation of others to make themselves look good,” said Go, who is seeking reelection as senator.