LP leader says fault lies in Duterte’s tongue

LP leader says fault lies in Duterte’s tongue 

PRESIDENT Duterte is impeaching himself with his own tongue, not the “yellow” forces of former President Benigno Aquino III, according to one of the remaining stalwarts in the House of Representatives of the Liberal Party (LP), whose ranks have been decimated by desertions.
On Monday, Mr. Duterte said Aquino’s followers were attempting to build a case to impeach him. “Let’s not fool ourselves. Do you know who’s behind this? It’s the yellows,” the President said, alluding to the former ruling party’s signature color.
“They think that if they can build a case against me, I’ll be impeached,” he said. “My God! I tell you frankly, when I assumed office, in this quest of mine, I have prepared to lose my honor, my life and the presidency.”

In a blistering rebuke, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said it was Mr. Duterte’s own thoughtless pronouncements that were bringing him a world of trouble.
“Far from being a target of an impeachment plot, it is the President who might be impeaching himself for his improvident and ill-conceived statements unmindful of adverse or compromising consequences,” said Lagman, one of five LP members in a House minority faction.
LP denial
The rest of the LP members—numbering 33—belong to the majority coalition forged by Mr. Duterte’s allies in the House, the only place where impeachment proceedings against the President may originate.
The LP is the only party with members in both the majority and minority in the 292-strong chamber, but LP members deny they are behind any move to unseat Mr. Duterte, whose outrageous statements, including cursing out US President Barack Obama at a regional summit, have made international headlines.
Former Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., one of the LP majority members, said Mr. Duterte’s firm hold in the lower chamber ensured that no impeachment proceeding against him would prosper.

Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza said the LP having members in both the majority and the minority did not mean it was scheming against the President.
“The fact that there are Liberals in the majority and minority only shows LP is a democratic party. We have the freedom and the right to disagree among ourselves,” he told a press briefing at the House.
Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said: “To my personal knowledge, the LP has not talked about impeachment. We should not talk about impeachment. That’s bad for the country, bad for the economy.”
Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said the Duterte administration was suffering as a result of mixed messages, citing the confusion raised by the President’s remarks about his wish to have American troops pull out from Mindanao.

The President’s lieutenants later scrambled to downplay the Widodo remark about the Filipino drug mule in jail in Indonesia, while at the same time affirming the essential message to the Indonesia leader that Mr. Duterte would not intervene in Indonesia’s judicial processes.
“If you look at the bottom line, there’s no difference between the statement of the Indonesian president and the President … It has the same effect,” Lagman said.
“There are no moves from the Liberal Party to unseat the President,” Vice President Leni Robredo said in a statement.

““He won the election using his own communication style and tactic. His communication style is far superior [to] mine,” Andanar said. “We follow guidelines … but at the end of the day if our principal changes the game, we follow his lead.” With reports from Marlon Ramos and Nikko Dizon

source : inquirer