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Hontiveros: Duterte a weak leader amid tough talking


President Rodrigo Duterte talks tough but is a weak leader, opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said Monday.

Hontiveros made the assertion after the President accused the opposition Liberal Party, communist rebels, and the Church of plotting to oust him amid the nine-year-high inflation rate.

“Imbes na mag-isip ng mga solusyon, ibinaling pa sa iba ang sisi. Ang pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin, isinisi kay [US President Donald] Trump. Palpak na war on drugs, isinisi sa mga human rights advocates. Sa lumalalang kahirapan, kasalanan ng nakaraang administrasyon. The President has a growing list of people and things to blame, except himself. Tough talker, pero weak leader,” she said.

“It is time to tell the President: quit terrorizing, start governing! By words and deeds, he terrorizes the public, highlighted in the recent week by a political vendetta gone shamefully wrong to divert the public’s attention from issues that really matter: soaring consumer prices, unemployment, extrajudicial killings, rice shortage and many others. The most recent one is the spread of fake news of a so-called “October revolution” plot borne out of paranoia,” Hontiveros added.

'Speak out'

The senator called on the public to protest Duterte's poor governance and sexist comments, the most recent example of which was his saying that there was a lot of rapes in Davao City because it has a lot of beautiful women.

“I call on our citizens: it is our moral duty to speak out. Sa pambabastos sa mga kababaihan, ang ilan ay tahimik. Nung sinabi ng Pangulo na siya ay papatay ng mga drug addict, ang ilan ay tahimik. Nung may mga pinaslang na mga miyembro ng kaparian, ang ilan ay tahimik. Nung unti-unti nang ibinenta sa Tsina ang ating mga isla, ang ilan ay tahimik. The harassment against Sen. Trillanes using state powers exhibits not only the President’s allergy to dissent and oppositional politics, but to democracy as a whole,” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros was referring to Proclamation 572, which voids the amnesty granted to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV in 2011 on the basis that he did not apply for amnesty and did not admit guilt for his involvement in two incidents in 2003 and 2007 that sought the removal of then-President Gloria Arroyo.

Trillanes has since showed Department of National Defense (DND) documents signed by former Defense Chief Voltaire Gazmin saying he filed for amnesty; that such amnesty was in order since he admitted to guilt in violations of all laws; and that amnesty is in order.

“We can no longer be idle and silent. Ang katumbas ng pananahimik ay kahirapan at kamatayan para sa iba. Our people need to come together and muster the moral courage to stand against what is wrong and abusive,” Hontiveros added. — Llanesca T. Panti/BM, GMA News

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