Malacañang has dismissed former President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. intends to declare martial law to stay in power, calling it baseless. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin responded by branding Duterte a “one-man fake news factory.”
“This hoax is another budol emerging from a one-man fake news factory,” Bersamin said, using the term “budol” to describe the claim as deceptive.
Duterte made the statement during a rally in Mandaue City, where he warned that Marcos Jr. could follow in the footsteps of his father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. “I bet he will not step down after his term. It will be just like his father’s time. He will impose martial law,” he claimed.
Bersamin refuted the allegation, assuring the public of the administration’s commitment to democracy and the rule of law. “As our actions have consistently demonstrated, we will stay the course in upholding the Constitution, in adhering to the rule of law, and in respecting the rights of the people,” he stated.
The Palace also criticized the previous administration for alleged human rights abuses and suppression of dissent. Bersamin remarked, “We will not backslide into the oppressive ways of the previous administration, when critics were jailed on trumped-up charges and when kill orders were publicly issued with glee and obeyed blindly.”
The exchange highlights the widening rift between the Marcos and Duterte camps. Malacañang urged the public to rely on credible sources and avoid spreading misinformation.
