MANILA, Philippines – Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin urged former President Rodrigo Duterte to “desist from being irresponsible as he has become and should respect the Constitution, not disobey it.”

In a statement, Bersamin said, “No motive is more selfish than calling for a sitting president to be overthrown so that your daughter can take over.”

Duterte, in a press conference livestreamed on his Facebook page, called for police and military intervention to “protect the Constitution” amid what he described as a “fractured government.”

“There is a fracture in government, and only the military can see the solution,” Duterte said.

The former president again accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of being a drug addict and implicated his special assistant, Antonio Lagdameo Jr., suggesting that both were involved in illegal activities.

Bersamin responded, saying, “He will go to great and evil lengths, such as insulting our professional armed forces by asking them to betray their oath, for his plan to succeed.”

“Nakakagulat ang garapalang panawagan ni dating Pangulong Duterte sa ating sandatahang lakas na maglunsad ng kudeta laban kay Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Bersamin added, emphasizing that “the administration will not shirk from its sworn duty to govern and manage the affairs of the Filipino Nation according to the Constitution and the Rule of Law.”

📷 House of Representatives of the Philippines FB