DND dismisses alleged destab plot; AFP checking if active soldiers involved

The Department of National Defense  (DND) on Friday dismissed reports that former military officials were allegedly getting involved in a supposed destabilization plot against the Marcos administration.

“That's a function really of information operations. There will be all these agitations, we have to learn to live with it and we have to learn to ignore it,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said in an ambush interview.

“How many are they? Actually, there are very few ... they do not speak for retired officials. That's why even naming them as speaking for retired officials is unfair to the majority of retired officials,” he added.

However, Teodoro pointed out that if these former military officials violated laws, they should be held accountable. 

“But this is not the vast majority of the retired officials. So let's also not glorify these people and putting them on a place where they shouldn't be regarded by the public,” he said.

“I really don't like to talk about these things because there's nothing happening here and it distracts from our work,” he added.

No coup 

Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romero Brawner Jr. said the military is already checking if active members were involved in the supposed destabilization plot.

“Sa ngayon ay hindi pa po nagre-report sa akin ang intelligence community but they are already doing their investigation especially doon po sa mga active members ng AFP,” Brawner said in an ambush interview.

(The intelligence community has not yet reported to me but they are already doing their investigation especially on active members of the AFP.)

“Doon po sa listahan kasi may isa na nakalagay doon. So, yun po yung talagang tinitignan natin because we want to make sure na walang active member ng Armed Forces who will be involved in any of these non-constitutional activities,” he added.

(Based on the list, there is one listed there. So, that’s what we are really looking at because we want to make sure that there is no active member of the Armed Forces who will be involved in any of these non-constitutional activities.)

Brawner also has a message for those who want the military to interfere in the nation's political affairs.

"Kaya't itong mga nananawagan po na sumama yung mga sundalo sa mga rallies o kaya sa mga panawagan nila na coup d'etat, huwag na po kayong umasa na ang Armed Forces of the Philippines ay gagawa ng unconstitutional activities. We will not resort to unconstitutional means to bring about change," he said.

(So, those who are calling for soldiers to join the rallies or calling for a coup d'etat, do not expect the Armed Forces of the Philippines to engage in unconstitutional activities. We will not resort to unconstitutional means to bring about change.)

"We will stick to the rule of law at hindi po tayo lalabag dito. Hindi tayo magku-coup d'etat, hindi tayo magmi-military junta dahil ang kawawa po ay ang ating bansa 'pag ginawa po namin ito," he added.

(We will stick to the rule of law and we will not violate it. We will not stage a coup d'etat. We will not have a military junta because our country will be miserable if we do this.)

On November 11, Malacañang said the military’s intelligence community is verifying the claim of an alleged destabilization plot against the administration.

This stemmed from the social media post of veteran journalist Mon Tulfo showing a list of personalities including former military officials who were allegedly behind the destabilization plot. — RSJ/VBL, GMA Integrated News