While looking back at the Duterte administration’s approach in dealing with China’s aggressive moves in the disputed West Philippine Sea, former Interior secretary Rafael “Raffy” Alunan III took exception to being referred to as a “supporter” of former president Rodrigo Duterte. He specifically reacted to being described as someone who thought Duterte “could do no wrong.”
This needs context.
STATEMENT
In a Nov. 2 interview with journalist Christian Esguerra on his Facts First podcast, Alunan was asked about his views on the Duterte administration’s “friendly” relations with China which, he said, led to the opening of the country to increased Chinese activities, including the controversial offshore gaming operations.
Alunan replied:
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m an ordinary citizen and I can see exactly what the mistakes were during the Duterte administration, whether it was meant or not meant, the consequences were this.”
Source: Christian Esguerra Official YouTube Channel, Alunan: “We’re in a dangerous period,” Nov. 2, 2023, watch from 15:55 to 16:08
Esguerra pressed Alunan, describing the former government official as someone who “supported” Duterte, to expound on his point. The former interior secretary explained:
“I don’t like that assumption… supported… because I’ve been attacked by so many people here. ‘Oh, Alunan adored this guy, that he could do no wrong.’ I don’t like that assumption that I was his supporter in that sense. In that sense, okay? I supported the policy of protecting the national interest, okay. And then that protection included keeping our allies.”
Source: watch from 18:07 to 18:36
FACT
While Alunan declared support for Duterte’s presidential bid in the 2016 elections, he later pointed out the Duterte administration’s failure to address certain governance issues.
In a Facebook post in May 2022, shortly before Duterte’s six-year term ended, Alunan wrote that the former president missed out on eliminating corruption, rightsizing the government, and reforming the electoral and criminal justice systems.
He also described Duterte’s foreign policy as a “hit,” explaining that the previous administration’s “friend to all, enemy to none” approach was the correct attitude that aligned with the Constitution.
Duterte endorsed Alunan when he ran for the Senate in the 2016 and 2019 elections.
Prior to his stint as Interior secretary under the Ramos administration, Alunan served as Tourism secretary of former president Corazon Aquino.
(Read Duterte’s cinematic solution to South China Sea conflict and VERA FILES FACT SHEET: Where Senate bets stand on top five concerns of the Filipino voter)
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Sources
Rafael Alunan III Facebook Account, I was interviewed by a foreign journalist yesterday…, April 28, 2016
Rafael Alunan III Facebook Account, Are we doing the right things…, Oct. 1, 2016
Rafael Alunan III Facebook Account, One year ago today…, Oct. 16, 2016
ABS-CBN News, Ex-DILG chief Alunan completes Duterte’s Senate lineup, Feb. 23, 2019
GMA News Online, Ex-DILG chief completes Duterte’s Senate slate, Feb. 23, 2019
Inquirer.net, Ex-DILG chief Alunan is 12th pick for Duterte’s Senate slate, Feb. 24, 2019
(Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. Find out more about this initiative and our methodology.)
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