Fil-Am Leader Joins Calls for Duterte to Resign
Don Tagala, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau
NEW YORK — Filipino-American community leader Loida Nicolas-Lewis has spoken out after weeks of keeping her silence on President Rodrigo Duterte’s accusations that she has been plotting to oust the Philippine president.
“No, President Duterte, I have not plotted against you in terms of coup d’etat, because I believe in the democratic process,” Nicolas-Lewis said.
She said she has given Duterte a chance to prove himself as duly elected president of the Philippines for the last five months.
“I was impressed at his sincerity. Then I thought he was sincere, that, what keeps people poor in the Philippines is drugs, corruption and injustice. But now what do I see? He’s killing and killing and killing. I would say he is a murderer in that sense,” she said.
Duterte has promised during his campaign that he will get rid of corruption, drugs and criminality in three to six months.
“So his promise I will resign in 6 months if the drug epidemic is not solved, he should be true to that promise at least, no extension, resign now President Duterte,” she said.
Nicolas-Lewis said she has now joined the call for Duterte’s resignation after Vice President Leni Robredo was allegedly eased out of the president’s cabinet.
Robredo quit her job as housing czar after Duterte ordered her to stop attending cabinet meetings. Robredo vowed to protect and not allow the vice presidency to be ‘stolen’ from her.
“16 million who voted for Duterte did not vote for Bongbong Marcos. So be careful. We should ask for the resignation of President Duterte now and not wait until Bongbong Marcos succeeds in his nefarious plan to unseat VP Leni Rodredo,” she added.
Nicolas-Lewis said during a recent trip to China, Duterte has even “joked” that if Marcos wins his electoral protest, the Philippines would have a new vice president.
“President Duterte wants Bongbong Marcos to be your president. Matakot kayo, matakot kayo, matapos na magnakaw, magiging silang ruling body again. Resign now, let VP Leni become president and she will do it for you, without killing anybody,” she said.
(Be afraid, be afraid, after they looted the country, the Marcoses will be the ruling body again.)
President Duterte has less than a month to fulfill his campaign promise of getting rid the Philippines of crime, corruption and drug problems.
He has already asked for another six-months extension but his critics say no more.
(Source: ABS-CBN.com)