By Darryl John Esguerra | Philippine News Agency
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. denied on Monday he has been conducting a “loyalty check” among members of the military and police.
Marcos made the remarks amid claims by some quarters that the command conferences he is holding with uniformed men are meant to ensure their fidelity to his administration.
“Hindi ko naiintindihan ang term na ’yan because I don’t know how you conduct a loyalty check. At least not when you call a command conference… Because in the military, the police, we don’t have that,” Marcos told reporters in Malacañang.
“Wala kaming ganoon, I only hear it in the media. So I was just wondering how do you define a loyalty check? Anyway, it’s just a stupid question,” he added.
Last week, Marcos convened the National Peace and Order Council (NPOC), which is composed of the country’s top security officials, in Camp Crame.
The discussions centered on the upcoming 2025 midterm elections, the regional and national peace-and-order situation, and the campaign against Philippine offshore gaming operators, among others.
Present in the meeting were Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr.
Stable amid ‘noise’
When asked about the state of the nation as the year 2024 is about to end, the President said the Philippines is “quite stable” despite “a lot of noise.”
“We’re quite stable. I mean, the government is functioning properly. Although there’s a lot of noise. That’s all it is; it’s all just noise,” Marcos said.