MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) continues to monitor some groups plotting moves to unseat President Rodrigo Duterte.
PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde, however, said the actions appear to be limited to discrediting Duterte since the alleged plotters themselves are aware that ousting him is an impossible task.
“Although there are persistent information kasi, persistent ang intelligence information that there are alleged, these are raw information itong mga nakukuha natin na naggu-grupo, alliance yung kung anong grupo para nga sirain, not necessarily patalsikin yung present administration pero yung sirain yung present administration (Although there are persistent raw intelligence information that they have been grouping, they are more on putting the President in a bad light and not necessarily oust the present administration),” Albalyalde told reporters in a press conference on Monday.
“Nakita naman nila kung gaano kaganda magpalakad itong present administration at nakikinabang hanggang pinakamababang kababayan natin (We are not belittling their efforts but people are educated already. They have seen how good the present administration is in running the country and this benefits even our poor fellow Filipinos),” the PNP Chief noted.
Duterte earlier said that the plan aims to oust the President by October this year.
Asked if members of the Liberal Party are indeed involved in the plot, Albayalde said it is likely since they are members of the political opposition.
“That is not remote of course. In any administration, the opposition sometimes they do everything to discredit the present (administration) kaya nga tinawag na opposition,” Albayalde said.
“Well probably that’s democracy for them. Sabi nga (As they say), exercise of freedom and democracy, hindi naman natin sila pwedeng pagbawalan diyan (We cannot forbid them),”he added.
He said that based on their estimate, the number of policemen deployed in Luneta during the commemoration of the 46th anniversary of martial law on Friday turned out to be more than those who joined the protest actions.
The President himself earlier revealed rumors of an ouster plot during a televised tête-à-tête with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo. (/PNA)
