HOUSE Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V of La Union on Monday dismissed former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s claim that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is becoming a dictator. Ortega accused Duterte and his allies of fabricating lies to discredit the administration, calling them a “factory of fake news.”
Ortega went further, mocking Mr. Duterte and his allies for their continued spread of disinformation.
“So ewan ko, parang ano bang tawag mo dun sa ano, hari ng, father faker? Father ng mga fake news, ganun? Mother faker? Di ko alam kung paano nyo, paano ang itatawag natin sa kanila. Father faker, mother faker o anong tawag sa mga anak nila? Fakerist. Parang ganun ‘yung mga dating nila, parang mga super villains,” Ortega said.
“I’m leaning towards that statement na parang factory sila ng fake news. Pati ‘yung mga data nila, pati ‘yung mga rally nila, parang talagang ano, parang literally factory ng fake news, kumbaga. Tapos ‘pag hinold sila accountable ng tao kakambiyo naman sila na joke, joke lang daw ‘yun,” Ortega said.
House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur, meanwhile, rejected the accusation of Mr. Duterte that President Marcos is becoming a dictator, pointing out that the Chief Executive has been on the receiving end of threats and insults yet has not retaliated.
“Diktador ba ‘yung minumura ka? Ang tatay mo sinasabi kung ano-ano tatanggalin, i-exhume, tapos itatapon sa WPS, i-threaten ang buhay mo. I-threaten ang wife mo, i-threaten ang Speaker of the House, ang pinsan mo, tapos everytime nagkakaroon sila ng rally ang pinakapunto nila is sirain ‘yung isang pagkatao. Hindi lang ‘yung polisiya pero yung pagkatao ng isang indibidwal tulad ni PBBM,” Adiong said.
He pointed out that the President has respected the separation of powers, allowing institutions to function independently.
“He respects the separation of powers. He allows, he does not even want, maraming mga legal opinion na sinasabi, President you request the Senate to convene for an emergency session, he did not do that, because he respects the separation of powers. He allows all the agencies to work according to its mandates. That’s not an indication or that’s not even an attribute of a dictator, di ho ba?” he said.
Adiong also compared the Marcos’s administration to previous ones, stating that there have been no politically motivated removals of justices or imprisonments of opposition senators under his leadership.
“Wala naman ho sa administrasyon nya na may nakaupong citizen na Chief Justice na na-quo warranto o kinasuhan. Wala ho sa administrasyon niya na may seating senador na kinasuhan at pinakulong,” he said.
House Assistant Majority Leader Ernix Dionisio of Manila added that Marcos is far from being a dictator and urged the public to evaluate such accusations objectively.
“Just to a quick add on po na you know. Sa mga recent Presidents ng bansa natin ay could easily say na si Pangulong Bongbong Marcos yata ‘yung isa sa pinakamabait na eh. So, it’s very far from being a dictator with all due respect to the people who are saying na dictator si President Bongbong nakakalungkot kasi na you know mga tayong mga Pilipino ah,” Dionisio said.
He also called on Filipinos to stop attacking one another for political gain.
“We are attacking yung kapwa Filipino natin for what? So let’s stop for a minute and think about it. Bakit ba sinasabi ng ibang tao na diktador si Pangulong Bongbong? Ah dahil ba may basehan? O dahil ba may interest ng paninira sa kapwa?” he said.
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