No ongoing talks about withdrawing support from gov’t–PNP
Acting Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said on Monday there were no talks within the police force about withdrawing support from President Marcos.
“No one has talked to me, as well as my staff, commanders and even regional directors. If there are such efforts, I can ask them not to do it,” Nartatez answered, when asked about the issue at a press briefing in Camp Crame on Monday.
“And what’s the basis? We have a President who won by majority vote … I don’t see any basis to remove him from office,” he said.
The question was prompted by Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.’s denial of a coup plot against Mr. Marcos that was allegedly being hatched by the military with retired generals and religious groups following the Sept. 21 anticorruption protests.
‘Dangerous disinformation’
“The coup rumors are not true. I myself was surprised when I saw the article,” Brawner said at a news forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines on Oct. 3.
The AFP also called the allegations “dangerous disinformation,” saying it “remains loyal to the Constitution and will follow the chain of command.”
“[The AFP] is fully committed to defending the Republic—not betraying it,” it added.
On the part of the PNP, Nartatez maintained that there was “no need for a loyalty check.”
“With or without orders for a loyalty check, we conduct one. That’s why we say, the state of morale in the PNP is relatively high,” he said.
