LP denies ouster plot, calls Duterte’s claim ‘diversionary tactics’

The Liberal Party on Sunday denied President Rodrigo Duterte's claim that the group is planning to oust him by October.

"Of course, tinatanggi namin yung paratang ng Pangulo," former Quezon City Representative Erin Tañada, who serves as the party's Vice President for External Affairs, told GMA News in an interview.

In his speech on Saturday upon his arrival from his official visit to Israel and Jordan, Duterte said the Liberal Party, embattled Senator Antonio Trillanes and communist groups are conspiring to remove him from the presidency.

"Tatlong 'yan, bantayan ninyo. Iyang Yellow, Liberals, Trillanes, pati ang politburo.... Iyan ‘yung mag-a-oust Duterte and it will go into a higher.... October ganun," he said.

"It’s being supplied by a foreign power, hindi dito," he added.

But Tañada said Duterte's statement is just one of his "diversionary tactics" to shift the public attention away from the country's real problems.

"Ito ay maliwanag na diversionary tactics. And if you look at it, lahat ito naman ay kasalanan ng gobyerno, hindi naman kami 'yun e. They are destabilizing themselves because of poor management of the problems of our country," he said.

Duterte's ouster is far from what the party is aiming for, Tañada said, as they are focusing on their campaign for the 2019 midterm elections.

"Ang Liberal Party ay hindi naman nagpaplano na tanggalin siya because he is elected. Ang pinaghahandaan lang naman ng Liberal Party ay yung eleksyon sa darating na 2019," he said.

For his part, Trillanes said Duterte's claim may only be his own hallucinations.

"Mga guni-guni niya yan sa kanyang utak kasi paranoid na sya," he told reporters in an interview.

Meanwhile, opposition lawmaker Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano said there is no plot to remove Duterte.

"Di ko nga alam bakit napapraning siya. Walang ganun. Kami nag-aagree din na we should go through the processes. We should avail of the legal means. Di pwede lumabas tayo sa pagpapatanggal ng pangulo illegally," he told reporters in a press conference at the Senate.

Alejano said that his group and the Liberal Party are talking to each other, being part of the opposition.

"Natural lang na mag-uusap kami ng Liberal Party kasi bahagi kami ng opposition, mag-uusap talaga kami," he said. — BM, GMA News