Marcos: No report of destab plot among active police

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Friday said there has been no report that active police officials were planning to oust him from power.

In an ambush interview in General Santos City, Marcos was asked to comment about the claim of former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV that retired and active high-ranking officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were plotting to remove him from office.

The President said that those who already retired from police service could be part of the alleged destabilization plot, if it is indeed in motion.

Marcos added that he has not observed politicking within the police service.

"I don't see—, wala kaming report na in the ranks. Iyong mga retired baka mayroon, mayroong mga gumagalaw, sumasama sa mga destab na ginagawa," Marcos said.

(I don't see—, we don't have any report of that in the ranks. Perhaps there could be some movement among the retired police officers, taking part in the alleged destabilization effort.)

"Pero sa ating mga kapulisan at siyempre lalo na sa officer corps, wala naman tayong nakikitang ganun na namumulitika ang mga police," he added.

(But we don't see any politicking in our police force and especially in the officer corps.)

Marcos said that his main concern is that security officials, including the military, would do their duties in serving and protecting the nation.

"So, ang loyalty check, hindi ko alam kung ano 'yung loyalty check katotohanan. Anong sasabihin mo doon sa tao? Sasabihin, 'loyal ka ba sa akin?' Siyempre, oo ang sagot noon, 'di ba, kahit na hindi siya loyal sa 'yo. Pero titingnan natin mga record [nila.]" he said.

(I don't really know what is referred to as a loyalty check. What do you tell people when you conduct these checks? Will you ask, 'are you loyal to me?' Of course, they will reply, 'yes,' even if they are not loyal to you. But we will look into their records.)

"Ang ano ko naman, kahit hindi mo ako binoto, okay lang sa akin basta't maging professional ka, gawin mo 'yung trabaho mo nang tama. Iyon lang naman ang hinihiling ko sa lahat ng police, sa lahat ng Armed Forces," Marcos added.

(For me, even if I didn't get your vote, it's okay as long as you carry out your work properly and professionally. That's all I ask from the police and the Armed Forces.)

Last Tuesday, Trillanes said that retired and active high-ranking PNP officials were recruiting members in an ouster plot against Marcos. They have been supposedly trying to recruit members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Asked who was behind the ouster plot, Trillanes said it was the "Duterte camp."

Sought for comment, Duterte's former presidential spokesperson, Atty. Harry Roque, said that the remarks were "hallucinations and hangover from his coup d'etat days."

For her part, PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo had said that there are no active police officials involved in the plot.

She also called on Trillanes to "spare the PNP" from such issues, saying the agency is focused on its mandate. — VDV, GMA Integrated News