2 SC justices laugh off inclusion in ouster plot

MANILA, Philippines — Two magistrates of the Supreme Court have denied being part of an alleged plot to destabilize the administration and oust President Duterte.

Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justice Marvic Leonen laughed off their inclusion in the so-called list of individuals and groups allegedly involved in the ouster plot that was posted by former Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte on his Facebook page.

“I consider that as a joke. It’s laughable,” Carpio said in an exclusive interview with The Chiefs on Cignal TV’s One News on Friday night.

Carpio, a vocal critic of Duterte’s stance on the territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea, also described the list as “incredible” because it included even vocal supporters of the President.

“The cast of characters include Victor Corpus, who is very pro-Duterte, and also Carmen Pedrosa, who is rabidly pro-Duterte, so I cannot imagine how these people can be destabilizers,” Carpio stressed.

Carpio said he had no idea where such insinuation came from and that he “totally ignored it” upon learning about his inclusion in the list.

But “since I’m always in the news it did not surprise me anymore,” he said.

Leonen, for his part, also treated his inclusion in the list as a joke and had a witty response.

“I am vegan. I do not collude nor conspire with Jollibee,” he posted on his Twitter account upon learning about the list last week.

The Oust Duterte Movement list linked politicians, bishops, former Cabinet members, journalists, civil society leaders and companies in the supposed ouster plot.

Among those included in the list with Carpio and Leonen were Vice President Leni Robredo, former vice president Jejomar Binay, former chief justice Hilario Davide, opposition Senators Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiveros, former Cabinet members Corazon Soliman, Florencio Abad, Paquito Ochoa, Cesar Purisima and former police chief Alan Purisima.

Also in the list were Catholic bishops Broderick Pabillo, Leo Drona, Antonio Tobias, Deogracias Iñiguez, Pablo David and journalists Maria Ressa, Ellen Tordesillas and Ed Lingao.

Bishop Julio Xavier Labayen, who died two years ago, was also named.

The list also included Jollibee Foods Corp. as a supposed destabilizer, prompting memes online.

The younger Duterte clarified that he only posted the list for fun. It was quickly deleted.