DND disowns Palace’s ‘Oust Duterte’ matrix

The Department of National Defense has disavowed the matrix being peddled by the Palace as a list of people involved in an ouster plot against President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We did not have prior information about that. Hindi ko nga iyan nakita,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in an interview with GMA News Online's FYI segment with Richard Heydarian.

“Baka gusto lang manguryente ng ibang tao, maglagay ng false names kasama nung iba...baka kagatin. Pero sa amin, wala kaming nakikitang active ouster plot,” he added.

The matrix, revealed by Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo earlier this month, tagged a number of people, including veteran journalists, athletes, and even "active likers" of posts on social media.

Lorenzana said that an ouster plot cannot proceed without the military getting a whiff of it.

“A destabilization plot needs recruitment of people from the military, police and local officials. Wala kaming nararamdamang ganito,” he said.

“As for the information from the Palace, maybe they have some information on small groups. But as to a destabilization plot? You would need the military support for such to be credible. As such, we do not see any plot to overthrow the President,” Lorenzana added.

Panelo said that the public should believe the matrix because it came from the President himself. — Llanesca T. Panti/BM, GMA News