Duterte supporters seek Leni’s ouster

MANILA, Philippines - Supporters of President Duterte yesterday gathered in Rizal Park to call for the ouster of Vice President Leni Robredo.

The rallyists, most of them clad in red shirts, were led by artist Jimmy Bondoc, blogger Mocha Uson and lawyer Bruce Rivera under #StopShamingDuterte campaign to remove Robredo.

The gathering was held at the Quirino Grandstand where hundreds of supporters brought posters and streamers calling for Robredo’s impeachment or resignation.

Security was tight with volunteers and  policemen from the Manila Police District manning all the gates leading to the makeshift stage in front of the Quirino Grandstand.

One of the organizers, former Manila councilor Greco Belgica, said the rally was originally tagged as “Palit Bise” but some volunteers came out with the slogan even before the rallyists trickled in.

But Duterte distanced himself from the protest and reiterated that he no longer needs popularity.

Asked by a reporter in Cagayan de Oro City if he supports the rally, Duterte said: “No. Look, I’m not a politician anymore. I’m beyond that. In the first place why should I waste my time about politics? I’m no longer eligible for any public office after this.”

He refused to give a message to the people attending the rally. 

“We wanted (her) Robredo to stop shaming the President and support him, instead of denigrating his war against drugs. Her videotaped message to a UN panel that assailed his war on drugs will ultimately come back to haunt her,” Belgica said.

Bondoc said they are not just going after Robredo but also unidentified presidential appointees whom he claimed are destroying the name of the President.

The organizers stressed they were not paid to attend the rally, which they said could last until the following day.

“We are here to show our support to the President and we believe that Robredo should be impeached for acting against national interest,” one protester said.

The rally coincided with Robredo’s trip to South Africa, where she was invited by the Friedrich Neumann Foundation as a keynote speaker in a women’s conference there.

Robredo’s legal adviser, former Akbayan representative Barry Gutierrez said the Vice President remains focused on her job to help uplift the lives of many poor Filipinos.

“It’s clear based on their last meeting that the President and the Vice President are focused on their respective work,” Gutierrez said in a statement in Filipino.

Gutierrez added the two officials respect each other’s mandate.

“If in spite of this there are still supporters of the President who go against his decision (to respect Robredo’s mandate), maybe it is to him (Duterte) that they should explain,” he said.

Robredo was also scheduled to attend a roundtable discussion on corruption with the South African parliament. She is set to return to Manila tomorrow.

Joining Robredo in the delegation are lawmakers who are mostly members of the Liberal Party, including Sen. Francis Pangilinan, the party president.

Duterte supporters led by Rivera and Uson said Robredo should be impeached for acting against national interest in criticizing the government’s drug war before the United Nations.

They were referring to her video message to the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs last month, where Robredo revealed alleged police abuses in the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

Rivera and Uson said their group dubbed “Impeach VP Leni Team” is set to file an impeachment complaint against Robredo for allegedly peddling lies about the Philippines to the international community when Congress resumes session on May 2.

Robredo maintained she only based her figures on reports of international agencies such as the Human Rights Watch and the Amnesty International.

Earlier, Oliver Lozano and Melchor Chavez, known Marcos loyalists, had drafted an impeachment complaint against Robredo for allegedly spreading lies in the UN.

The draft filed by Lozano is still in the office of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who is reportedly studying whether to endorse it.

Duterte, also facing an impeachment complaint, earlier told his allies to stop the efforts to unseat Robredo.

Duterte also said the Vice President did not commit any overt act that warrants her removal from office. He said such criticisms were to be expected in a democracy. – With Alexis Romero