PNP: No brewing destabilization plot among ranks

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday denied any brewing destabilization plot against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. among its ranks.

This came after former senator Antonio Trillanes IV claimed that high-ranking police officials were recruiting personnel to join the plot.

“First, we do not know where former senator Antonio Trillanes IV sourced his remarks but on the part of the PNP, we spoke with the chief PNP (Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil) regarding that issue earlier, and even our intelligence units here in the PNP, we have not monitored any police officer who is involved in this so-called destabilization plot and we have not monitored any destabilization plot for that matter,” PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said in a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Fajardo said this kind of scheme, no matter how small, would not escape the validation efforts of their intelligence units.

“Ang pakiusap natin kay kagalang galang na dating senator Trillanes, please spare the PNP dito sa mga issue na ito at naka-focus tayo sa pagtupad ng ating mandato (We appeal to the honorable former senator Trillanes to please spare the PNP from these issues as we are focused on performing our mandate),” she added.

Fajardo said during his visits to various police headquarters, Marbil has been reminding police officers to stay apolitical, noting that there is no reason for them to engage in any destabilization plot.

She also said Marbil’s visits are not a gesture of loyalty check among ranks.

“His visits to police regional offices in the Visayas and Mindanao, as well as in the NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office) is a regular practice of a newly-assumed PNP chief. He conducts command visits so that ordinary police officers would hear from him personally the policies that he wants to implement,” Fajardo said.