Palace: Foreign-funded destab efforts, if true, can be considered treason

Malacañang on Thursday said that if indeed true, foreign-funded destabilization efforts against the Marcos administration can be considered treason against the Philippines.

At a media briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked for comment on the remark of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that it could be possible that destabilization efforts against the administration are foreign-funded. 

"Sa ngayon po mismo ang pamunuan po ng AFP ay sinabi po sa atin na continuously ay nagchi-check po sila at closely coordinating with the PNP (Philippine National Police) regarding this. At kung ito man ay may katotohanan, kapwa Pilipino, kung again, kung may katotohanan at makikita po sa kanilang pag-iimbestiga na foreign-funded itong kanilang isinasagawang rally, masasabi po nating ito ay pagtataksil sa bayan," Castro said.

(The AFP leadership said it is checking this matter and it is closely coordinating with the PNP regarding this. If it is true that the rallies were foreign-funded, then it could be considered treason.) 

"At hindi po nararapat ito na pinanghihimasukan tayo ng ibang bansa. Ang politika natin ay mukhang pinanghihimasukan na ng ibang bansa, so, hindi po maganda," she added.

(Other nations should not intervene with our political issues. It's not right.) 

Castro said she is hoping that such activities would stop if they are indeed foreign-funded. 

"Sana hindi po lumalim pa ang ganitong klaseng mga aktibidad kung nagpopondo lang naman din po ay ibang bansa," she said. 

(I hope this kind of activity will stop if they are indeed funded by other countries.) 

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

Malacañang had 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 journalist Mon Tulfo showing a list of personalities including former military officials who were allegedly behind the destabilization plot.

Last Wednesday, lawyers of the United People's Initiative (UPI) denied that the group committed sedition and accepted funds from foreign elements for their rallies last Sunday and Monday.

They also expressed "deep concern over speculative AFP statements" that UPI's assemblies were "financed by foreign sources" as it categorically denied the claims.

The UPI Lawyers Group maintained that their call for Marcos' resignation was protected speech under the 1987 Constitution. — VDV, GMA Integrated News