“Ridiculous, baseless, amusing.”
This is how Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III described the recent social media post of presidential son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte that tagged his father, former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. as part of the ouster plot against President Rodrigo Duterte.
The younger Davide said his father is an advocate of the rule of law and should be the least thinkable person to be part of a conspiracy to overthrow the government.
“That’s ridiculous. Ang akong papa pa gyod nga he used to be a member of the Supreme Court. He is an advocate sa rule of law.
Porbida pod anang intriga, di man na katuohan. Kinsa man tawon ang motuo ana oi? (That’s unbelievable. Who would believe that?) That’s baseless. Ridiculous, baseless, amusing,” Governor Davide said in a press briefing on Monday.
The president’s son posted screenshots of a spreadsheet that allegedly showed the names of members of an “Anti-Administration group” that plotted an “Oust Duterte Movement.”
The supposed members of the ouster group were a mix of politicians, administration critics, present justices of the Supreme Court, opposition legislators, former cabinet members of the Aquino administration, leaders of the Catholic Church.
According to national news reports, among the supposed members of the group were former Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, Senators Leila De Lima, Risa Hontiveros, former Sen. Francisco Tatad, former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima, former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, former Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman and former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima.