Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte issued a call to the military on Monday to uphold the Constitution and address what he termed a “fractured governance” in the country, but vehemently denied advocating for a coup d’état, Bloomberg reports.
“There is a fractured governance in the Philippines today…it is only the military who can correct it,” Duterte said in a briefing aired on SMNI News’ Facebook page.
However, he clarified that he was not calling for a military junta, suggesting a less forceful intervention: “They can just say we no longer want to play your game, we’re out.”
Duterte’s remarks escalate existing tensions between prominent political families in the Philippines. These tensions reached a fever pitch following comments made by his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, over the weekend. She claimed to have hired someone to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should she be killed.
Duterte also directly questioned the military’s continued support for President Marcos, whom he again accused of being a “drug addict.” This accusation has been previously denied by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, with Marcos himself reciprocating the allegation against Duterte.
In response to Duterte’s statements, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner reiterated the military’s commitment to the Constitution and its non-partisan stance on Saturday.
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