Sara says Tindig Pilipinas wants Rody ousted

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday claimed that Tindig Pilipinas Movement is “power hungry” and is out to overthrow President Duterte.

The latest tirades came after the President drew flak for threatening to set up a revolutionary government if the country plunges into chaos because of the supposed destabilization efforts against him.

“Power grabbers have made their point, made their presence felt, caught our attention, and we know who they are. The threat of destabilization is as real as terrorism,” said Duterte-Carpio, who is also mayor of Davao City.

“All his destabilization claims are from intel reports and reliable sources from inside the offices of the people identified with the opposition,” she added.

Last week, Duterte dared the communists, the political opposition, and other anti-government groups to join forces and to carry out their ouster plot against him.

Tindig Pilipinas said Duterte was “losing his grip” and called him a “paranoid and insecure little man afraid of losing power.”

It also warned the President of threatening to “annihilate” democracy as it urged “democratic forces” to resist alleged efforts to subvert the nation for his interests.

Duterte-Carpio shot back and claimed “groups and individuals who reacted negatively were apparently committing an act of self-defense to conceal their intentions against the Duterte administration.”

She also maintained that her father is not paranoid and insecure because he is the President.

“When you are the president, there is nothing that will make you feel insecure — not survey results or a person like (Sen. Antonio) Trillanes or a power-hungry group called Tindig Pilipinas,” she said.

Presidential Communications Secretary Marin Andanar also denied that Duterte was paranoid and lashed out at the group for supposedly spreading lies.

“That’s their opinion and we don’t share it. We have been working closely with the President and we can assure you that his mind is sound,” Andanar said in a statement.

“We’re confronted with threats all around from possible conflict in North Korea to terrorism from within in addition to natural calamities and criminality. Tindig is spreading lies to push a selfish agenda but this will not weaken the resolve of the President to carry out what he (had) promised to do,” he added.

Trillanes challenged anew

Duterte-Carpio also dared Trillanes to prove that the bank records of the Duterte family’s alleged ill-gotten wealth that he submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman are true.

The ombudsman had announced it has found reason to investigate the bank accounts of Duterte, his children and partner for unexplained wealth amounting to millions.

“O, ano na, Trillanes? Saan na proof mo sa papel mo? Waiver swap ko for your proof of authenticity and source (What now, Trillanes? Where is your proof? I will swap waiver for your proof of authenticity and source),” Duterte-Carpio said.

“Sinungaling ka (You are a liar),” she added.

The President accused Trillanes of having an offshore bank account. Trillanes signed a waiver to allow investigators to look into his supposed offshore account and even went to a bank in Singapore with reporters to prove that he has no offshore account.

Days later, Duterte admitted he just invented the bank account number of Trillanes to trap the senator. The President claimed that the second bank account number he presented was the right one.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said he is considering asking the Supreme Court to stop the ombudsman’s probe into the alleged undeclared wealth of Duterte.

Panelo said Overall Deputy Ombudsman Arthur Carandang had violated the law when he disclosed that his office would be looking into the claim that the President has billions in hidden bank accounts.

“We will go to the Supreme Court to stop them,” Panelo told radio station dzBB yesterday.

Panelo said that while the Ombudsman has the power to investigate impeachable officials, the probe on Dutete would go against the doctrine stating that the President is immune from suit.  

Duterte-Carpio also accused the Liberal Party, the political opposition, of planning to cheat in the elections and boasted that if the LP hires her as consultant, they will win in the next elections.

“Hire me as a consultant for you to win without cheating. Cheating is expensive, my consultancy is cheaper,” she said.

The presidential daughter also claimed that the opposition is planning to destabilize the country.

“My God, it seems like it is still election season, right? It appears to be a black propaganda. You want to bring this country down with PRD kasi gusto niyo kayo lang (because you want it for yourselves,” she said.

Duterte-Carpio also blasted a photo showing her and her father supporting then presidential and vice presidential candidates Benigno Aquino III and Mar Roxas during the campaign for the 2010 elections.

The old photo, which has gone viral, showed Aquino, Roxas, Duterte and Duterte-Carpio on a truck during the campaign sortie of the LP in Davao City. Sara was wearing a blue shirt, the campaign color that Roxas used.

The picture was posted by a certain “injustigram” on Instagram as a Throwback Thursday post. 

But Duterte-Carpio said “injustigram” is another fake account being used for the alleged black propaganda against the President.