DILG’s Año warns of Reds trying to embarrass incoming Marcos admin

The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) may seek to embarrass President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during his incoming term.

“We could surmise that the CPP-NPA and its cohorts actually have the intent to cause embarrassment to President-elect Bongbong Marcos," Año said in a press conference.

"Itong mga kaliwang grupo na ‘to, right from the start, kahit sinong umupong Presidente palaging ganun ‘yung kanilang ginagawa (right from the start, these leftist groups always do that regardless of who sits as President),” Año said.

Marco Valbuena, CPP chief information officer, said Año "must be condemned for hoisting the communist bogey to justify the planned suppression of demonstrations against the illegitimate Marcos II regime, as earlier declared by acting PNP chief Gen. Vicente Danao."

"In fact, what will be "embarrassing" during Marcos' inauguration will be how the police will stop the people from exercising their democratic rights to freely assemble and express their indignation against rigging of the May 9 election in favor of the Marcoses and Dutertes," Valbuena added.

Año said that the national government, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) were prepared for any scenario, considering that Marcos is set to hold his inauguration on June 30 at the National Museum of the Philippines.

“We will not allow any group to conduct any various activities, much more to discredit the incoming administration. We will do it all within the legal bounds of the law,” Año said.

The PNP said Thursday that protest rallies would not be allowed in areas near the inauguration of both Marcos and Vice President-elect Sara Duterte, who will hold her separate oath taking at the San Pedro Square in Davao City on June 19.

GMA News Online has sought for the comment of the CPP-NPA regarding Año’s statement, but it has yet to respond as of posting.

Año also said the authorities were validating the reports received by former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on groups allegedly attempting to “cause serious embarrassment and trouble” against Marcos.

“I just picked up what I consider to be a credible information that there are groups in America and in the Philippine planning and preparing to cause serious embarrassment and trouble for our newly elected President," Enrile said in a Facebook  post on Wednesday.

"I will give the details of this information to the proper official of the new regime in due time. Caution is the name of the game. You are just starting you travel in troubled waters. Your adversaries have not stopped,” he added. —NB/BAP, GMA News