'Fake, malicious,' PNP says of anti-Marcos FB post

The Philippine National Police has disowned a Facebook post that supposedly claimed that acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has urged the police, military, and other uniformed personnel to disobey President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s lawful orders.

In a statement issued on Tuesday night, the PNP slammed the social media post as fake and only intended to sow confusion and discredit the police force.

“These statements are fabricated and malicious, intended to spread confusion and discredit our institution,” part of the statement read.

Although it was unclear what social media post was being referred to, the PNP said it is probing the source of the latest disinformation attempt that came amid public outrage over corruption in government projects.

“Authorities are currently investigating the source of this disinformation, and the PNP will pursue appropriate legal action against those responsible for spreading falsehoods,” the statement said.

The PNP urged the public to “exercise vigilance, verify information through official PNP channels, and refrain from sharing unverified content that may mislead others or undermine public trust.”

It maintained that that the police organization is steadfast in its allegiance to the 1987 Constitution and is committed to following the lawful orders of Marcos as the commander-in-chief and other duly constituted authorities.

“Our loyalty is to the Filipino people and to the rule of law,” the PNP said, adding that it will continue to uphold only “the highest standards of integrity, discipline, and professionalism” in its operations.

It went on: "The PNP continues to serve the Filipino people with honor, dedication, and accountability, while standing firm against attempts to misinform and destabilize the credibility of our law enforcement institutions.”

On Monday, Nartatez said there is no talk within the PNP about withdrawing support from the President, adding that he sees no basis to oust the Chief Executive since he won majority of the votes in the 2022 elections.

In a press briefing, the acting PNP chief was asked if there were retired police officials calling for Marcos’ removal, similar to the supposed call of some retired military officials for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to withdraw support from the President.

In reply, Nartatez said no one among the retired PNP officials have talked to him or other police generals about such a scenario. He added that he will also discourage them from pushing for Marcos’ removal. — JMA, GMA Integrated News