By Claire Morales True and Jeanne Michael Penaranda

DAVAO CITY/MANILA — Former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte called on the military to correct what he described as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “fractured governance” as the administration started its investigation into his daughter’s threat against the sitting president.

“There is a fractured governance in the Philippines today,” Duterte said in a late night briefing aired on SMNI News’ Facebook page. “In the face of so many errors there…it is only the military who can correct it.”

The former president said he was seeking the military and police’s intervention to “protect the Constitution” but stopped short of calling for a coup. 

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Romeo Brawner had said earlier that the military will stay loyal to the Constitution and remain non-partisan.

The former President said he’s not calling for the establishment of a junta, adding the military doesn’t need to mount a coup. “They can just say we no longer want to play your game, we’re out.”

Duterte also asked the military how long it would continue to support Marcos, who the ex-president again described as a “drug addict.” The government anti-drug agency had denied Duterte’s claim while Marcos accused Duterte of drug use.

Malacañang called on the former president Duterte to respect the Constitution and desist from being “irresponsible” by insinuating a military action against the Marcos administration even as lawmakers dismissed the ex-leaders remarks, describing Duterte’s comments as all “hyperbole” as others said it was part of a “diversionary tactic” to deflect scrutiny from controversies involving Vice President Sara Duterte like the alleged misuse of millions of pesos of confidential and intelligence funds.

In a statement, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said Duterte’s call to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is inspired by a “selfish motive” to allow her daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, to take over.

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

“And 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,” he added.

According to Bersamin, Duterte should respect the Constitution, not disobey it.

Bersamin, a former Chief Justice, urged the Duterte camp to follow the proper procedure and wait for the right time to be in power, even as he vowed that the Marcos administration would “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.”

Meanwhile, members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged leaders of the government to focus on leading and serving Filipinos amid escalating political tensions between President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.

In separate statements, Ozamis Archbishop Martin Jumoad, Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Santos, and Bishop Oscar Florencio of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines asked the country’s leaders not to dwell on their political differences but to work for the welfare of the citizenry.

“Set aside politics. Let them focus on the office the people have elected them. Use the resources of our country to help the poor,” the Mindanao prelate said.

Santos also called on the country’s esteemed leaders “to set aside their differences and work towards a common goal of peace and prosperity for all Filipinos.”

“All I can say is that let us maintain our composure even if things are not doing well. Let us join our hands and energies together by not succumbing to the present turn of events,” Florencio said.

The Philippine Navy (PN) said it is unbothered by the ongoing row between the country’s leaders, stressing that the troops remain loyal to their duty to protect the country and the Constitution.

PN spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad made this remark when asked Tuesday whether the current political environment has weakened their resolve to protect the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“The AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) will continue performing its mandate to ensure the integrity of our national territory. I just mentioned that for the month of November, we conducted a total of 54 different activities in the WPS. This is a manifestation of our professionalism and we take pride in that. Amid all the developments of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, I would like to say that your Armed Forces will remain loyal to the Constitution and the duly constituted civil authorities,” he said. (CMT/JMP)