Palace dismisses coup talk, says police deployment part of security exercise

Malacañang on Monday dismissed coup rumors that spread after police were deployed in areas leading to the Palace complex.

Asked about the coup talk, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. would not have left Manila if there was a basis for the reports of a power grab.

"Maghapon pong nagtrabaho si Pangulong Marcos, Jr. at marami siyang inaksyunan sa Cebu. Sa aksyon, aksyon at hindi puro sa imahinasyon, uunlad ang ating bansa. Iwasan sanang gumawa ng kwentong walang kwenta,'' she said. 

(The President worked the entire day in Cebu. Our country will develop through actions and not imaginations. Let's refrain from making stories that have no basis.)

Castro said the increased police presence at the complex was a security exercise to ensure operational readiness.

She was asked about police deployment in areas leading to the Malacañang complex over the weekend, with razor wires installed.

''It is just part of a security exercise to test the operational readiness of personnel and units,'' Castro said.

The Manila Police District, for its part, said the deployment of cops was part of basic security measures whenever there were projected rallies. –NB, GMA Integrated News