National WATCH | Duterte accuses 'yellow' forces of using human rights to sow intrigue

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MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday virtually accused forces loyal to his predecessor of fanning "intrigues" against him by blaming him for the killings of nearly 3,000 people in his tough campaign on illegal drugs.



He said these "Yellow" people, whom he did not name - but was obviously referring to certain people in the Liberal Party - could this early be laying the groundwork for his impeachment. For this, he said, he was prepared, adding that for his controversial campaign against crime and drugs, "I'm ready to lose my life, my honor and my presidency."



He began his remarks after the swearing in of dozens of new government bureaucrats by swinging out again at the United States, calling the American leaders "hypocrites" for criticizing him for human rights violations while infringing on the rights of other people.



He then showed his audience some of the photos he had used to shock delegates at the ASEAN-East Asia Summit in Laos last week, to illustrate America's history of violating human rights while assailing other countries' records. He held up photos of American soldiers standing over a pile of bodies in the Bud Dajo massacre in Sulu during the US pacification campaign in Mindanao.



He reiterated that he never called Obama a "son of a bitch" but attacked him nonetheless for openly advising him in Laos to fight crime "the right way" and not short-circuit due process. Duterte lamented that Obama, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, "rode" on the human rights issues against him without bothering to get evidence that he had ordered the killings.



Duterte and National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa have been saying that many of the killings since he took office July 1 were the result of rivalries between drug syndicates or vigilantes. Just about half of the 3,000 deaths are attributed to official police operations.



"Sumakay itong si Obama. Sumakay si Ban Ki Moon. Dito sumakay. Alam mo kung kaninong laro ito? Yellow yan [This Obama and Mr. Ban rode on this human rights issue. You know who's fanning this intrigue and playing this? The yellow forces]."



The Liberal Party is associated with the color yellow because the previous president, Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and the middle-class forces associated with his family's democracy campaign in the 70s and 80s, have taken yellow as their signature color.

In the past two weeks, Duterte has publicly excoriated an LP senator, the Senate's Justice committee chair Leila de Lima, for pushing a congressional inquiry into re extra-judicial killings that have marred his anti-drugs campaign.

Duterte said Monday he won't back down in case the "yellow" forces are already paving the way for an impeachment case against him. It was an apparent reference to the conspiracy theory that made the rounds during the May 9 election campaign - when it became clear Duterte was headed for a landslide - that the LP will actively work to have Duterte impeached so their vice-presidential candidate, Leni Robredo, will assume the presidency.



US special forces out

Meanwhile, Duterte declared at the same Palace occasion Monday that he would order the US special forces out of Mindanao, saying the south would never have peace for as long as the Americans are there.

According to Duterte, intervention by the US and its allies has damaged so many countries around the world.



"Kaya yung mga [That's why the US] special forces, they have to go. They have to go in Mindanao. Maraming mga puti doon [There are so many white people there], they have to go. I don't want to have a rift with America but they have to go."



He added, "for as long as we stay with America we will not have peace."



HERE'S JV ARCENA'S VIDEO REPORT:







</s>VICE PRESIDENT Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo and her Liberal party mates on Tuesday denied a plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte, with Robredo calling the accusation that came from the President himself “misinformation.”

Duterte on Monday said the “yellows” were out to discredit and impeach him, claiming they were behind the international media play-up of his expletive-laden outburst against the United States and US President Barack Obama amid last week’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations summits in Laos.

Yellow is the color associated with the Liberal Party (LP) of former President Benigno Aquino 3rd.

Robredo, the LP’s highest-ranking elected official who was given the Social Welfare and Development portfolio by Duterte, said in a statement: “There are no moves from the Liberal Party to unseat the President.”

“In fact, the leadership of the party has been consistently demonstrating its support to this administration. Members of the party coalesced with the majority in the House and the Senate,” she added.

Robredo was referring to the LP lawmakers who belong to the “Super Majority” bloc led by Duterte’s allies from PDP-Laban, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, Nacionalista Party, National Unity Party and Lakas-CMD in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Rep. Romero Quimbo of Marikina, a Liberal, is one of the 12 deputy speakers of the House.

Robredo said she would “clarify” the “misinformation” on the supposed impeachment plot with the President and assure him of the party’s commitment to his reform measures, particularly on poverty and the fight against illegal drugs.

“We’ve offered the anti-poverty programs and policies that I’ve been pushing for to complement the government’s priorities on poverty alleviation. We’ve been coordinating with the relevant government agencies so that our office can help in the rehabilitation effort that needs to accompany the campaign against illegal drugs,” she added.

Liberal congressmen Feliciano Belmonte Jr. of Quezon City, Edcel Lagman of Albay, Raul Daza of Northern Samar and Edgar Erice of Caloocan City echoed Robredo.

Belmonte said it would be hard to impeach Duterte, who controls Congress.

“He (Duterte) is overwhelmingly popular which amounts to a public approval of his programs. Secondly, he has overwhelming majority in the House where impeachment starts,” Belmonte said.

Daza agreed that impeachment was definitely off the table.

“As you already know, 28 of the 33 LP members are with the Super Majority [bloc]. We [in the LP]have not even talked about impeachment. Impeachment, under the Constitution, begins in the House and I am sure there has not been any talk about that,” Daza said.

‘Impeaching himself’

 For Lagman, a Liberal stalwart who chose to be part of the House minority, the President had no one to blame but himself for what happened last week.

“It is the President who is … impeaching himself with ill-conceived statements that are unmindful of adverse effects and compromising consequences,” Lagman told reporters, referring to the President’s tirades against the US, expletives against world leaders, and controversial statements against political opponents.

At least five LP members belong to the House opposition bloc that has called itself the “Legitimate 8” following the installation of Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez as minority leader.

Lagman’s group, which claims the Suarez-led minority is friendly to the Super Majority, includes Daza, Erice, Teodoro Baguilat of Ifugao and Emmanuel Billones of Capiz.

Erice clarified that being in the opposition did not mean support for Duterte’s ouster.

“We don’t talk about impeachment because it is bad for our country and for our economy. We do not wish impeachment for the President,” Erice said.

“We want President Duterte to succeed, and our role [in the opposition]is to provide check and balance. The President should also try to appreciate that what we are doing here [as opposition lawmakers]is also good for the country,” Erice added.
Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte accuses the Liberal Party of former president Benigno Aquino III and their allies of orchestrating an impeachment complaint against him regarding his anti-drug campaign.