Sara launches coalition vs destabilization

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte will launch today, Monday, a coalition that will fight destabilization efforts against her father, President Rodrigo Duterte.

The coalition, named Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines, will be launched at the Marquis Events Place in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City at 10 a.m.

On her Facebook page, the Davao mayor called on her father’s supporters to attend the event. She added the group will reach out to other communities.

Based on the group’s Facebook post, the alliance will be the umbrella organization of all groups who supported President Duterte during the presidential campaign in May 2016. Joining the group will serve as a pledge for a better Philippines and a commitment to be good citizens, it said.

Sara Duterte SOURCE: CITY GOVERNMENT OF DAVAO FACEBOOK PAGE

"This is an alliance of groups who believed in the President and trusted his vision of change for the Philippines—a nation long besieged by systemic and deeply rooted woes brought by poverty, corruption, peace and order issues and narco-politics,” the group said.

"We [will] stand together, firm in our decision to fight for our country, vowing to resist interests and forces out to topple a democratically chosen leader of the nation. We will guard our freedom from the traitors of the Philippines and those who betray economic stability and government authority,” it added.

The group claims to have members from all ranks -- teachers, overseas Filipino workers, artists, doctors, students, retirees, young professionals, lawyers, artists, engineers, businessmen, as well as lumads, Muslims, and government workers.

As of October 17, at least 75 groups were listed under the Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines. These include: Duterte-Cayetano Socmed; DDS Global; Duterte Youth; Mindavote; The Amazing Duterte Ninjas-Japan; Rody Duterte Solid Group; PDP Laban Volunteers for President Duterte; Friends of Rody Duterte; Duterte Alliance Hongkong; Sisterhood for Duterte; Vivian Velez Group; Hugpong Federal; Alyansang Duterte Bongbong; Doctors for Duterte; DDS Bloggers; Pwersa Pilipino Patungo Sa Pagbabago; United Builders Missions of the Philippines, Inc.; Republic Defenders for Peace and Unity, among others.

Ronald Gian Cardema, commissioner of the National Youth Commission for Luzon, is the chairman of Duterte Youth. Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chief Andrea Domingo is a member of Friends of Rody Duterte.

In late September, the President said he will declare a revolutionary government if his critics pursue destabilization moves to unseat him.

He said the bank deposits of Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th, one of his critics, could have been used to fund attempts to destabilize the Duterte administration.

Several days later, Mayor Duterte said the threat of destabilization is as real as the threat of terrorism.

She said he father’s warning of a destabilization plot should not be ignored.

"All of his claims of destabilization are from intelligence reports and reliable sources from inside the offices of the people identified with the opposition,” Sara, a lawyer like her father, said.

However, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla had said there are no destabilization threats against the Duterte administration.

President Duterte has kept his trust and satisfaction ratings above 48 percent in opinion surveys, but his net satisfaction and net trust rating dropped by 18 and 11 points, respectively, in the Social Weather Stations poll released two weeks ago. The Pulse Asia survey showed more favorable results with the President scoring more than 80 percent.