Engage in healthy debate, Palace tells opposition
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday urged members of the opposition to engage in healthy debate after Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV referred to President Rodrigo Duterte as "baliw," or crazy.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s high approval rating in the latest Pulse Asia survey is a “reminder” that criticisms against the chief executive and his administration “are falling flat.”
Duterte ended 2018 with an approval rating of 81 percent in a survey conducted by Pulse Asia and released last week.
The survey was conducted from December 14 to 21 last year. Duterte’s rating saw an increase of six points from the third quarter of 2018.
The president’s trust rating also improved to 76 percent from 72 percent the previous quarter, the same survey showed.
The presidential spokesperson noted that Trillanes' criticisms "go against the sentiments of 81 percent of Filipinos approving the president’s performance and the 76 percent trusting him as our Chief Executive.”
Trillanes, an outspoken critic of the president, called Duterte “baliw” in reaction to the case filed by Labor Undersecretary Jing Paras filed against him. He added that the grave threats case filed by Duterte's "follower" is harassment.
Panelo said that with the midterm elections nearing, “we expect the political noise to escalate further.”
“For a change and the good of the nation, we urge the political opposition to engage the administration in a healthy debate of programs and platforms productive and beneficial to the Filipino people,” Panelo added.
The grave threats case is the latest among the suits Trillanes is facing.
Duterte, has often had harsh words for his critics, declared Trillanes’ amnesty void from the beginning, prompting a revival of rebellion case against the senator before a Makati court.
He is also facing libel case in Davao court, stemming from a complaint filed by Duterte’s son, former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte.
- Latest
- Trending
