Marcos vows to fend off efforts to destabilize govt

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on May 16 vowed to fend off any attempts to destabilize the government amid talk of an ouster plot involving active police and retired military officials against his administration.

“We will … not allow agents within the country to destabilize our government and create division within our nation,” Marcos said during his “Talk to Troops” at Camp Edilberto Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City on Thursday.

“So, I urge all of you to continue to [demonstrate] your loyalty, patriotism, and service to your country. And let that love of country remain as your compass in your duty to our country and to our people,” he told members of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday reminded the newly promoted officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to “not fail the Philippines and the Filipino people” by remaining faithful to their sworn duties. Photo from PCO 

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV earlier said active senior Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel and retired Armed Forces of the Philippines officials could be hatching a plot to install Vice President Sara Duterte as president.

Trillanes said the ouster plot may have gained urgency as the International Criminal Court comes close to issuing a warrant of arrest against former president Rodrigo Duterte and others involved in his bloody war on drugs.

The PNP leadership has appealed to Trillanes to spare the organization from such issues.

In the same speech on Thursday, Marcos called on the Philippine Army “to keep the momentum of their operations until the areas are completely cleared of terrorist influence.”

The President said the times were changing, and there were new threats to the nation’s security.

“I call on you to develop the skills and acquire [knowledge] to combat new forms of warfare, including those that extend up to the digital realm,” Marcos said.

“We must be prepared to fight false narratives, disinformation, and digital operations that seek to sow conflict [against us] and among us,” he added.

The President also warned that the country’s enemies might be hiding in the shadows, or infiltrating the very communities and institutions that the government seeks to protect.

He said the government would be ready to fight back and implement countermeasures to thwart any nefarious schemes and attempts.

The government has so far invested P5.3 billion in 758 projects across 356 barangay (villages), the President said in citing the importance of development in the fight against communist insurgency.

These projects, he said, include infrastructure, roads, water systems, schools, and health centers, in which over 78 percent are now considered completed.

Marcos said the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program to assist former rebels return to the fold of the law in Northern Mindanao and Caraga region has been successful.

Since last year, 80 percent of enrolled participants have received benefits like livelihood training, financial assistance, and, more importantly, educational opportunities, he said.

“Because of your efforts, those who we considered our adversaries before are now [helping to] build their communities instead of destroying those communities,” the President said.

“It will ensure peace in formerly conflict-affected areas and prevent communities from falling back into the trap of armed conflict,” he added.