Trillanes: Active senior PNP officials recruiting for Marcos ouster

MANILA CITY, Philippines — There are some active senior members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have been recruiting members to take part in the latest ouster plot against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said Tuesday.

“May na-identify na active senior PNP officials na nagrerecruit since last year,” Trillanes said.

(Some active senior PNP officials have been identified to be recruiting since last year.)

Aside from the active police senior officials, former police officials, mostly from Davao, plus a former PNP Chief, are also part of the destabilization plot, the former senator alleged.

“Davao group… and a retired PNP chief,” Trillanes said when asked if the police who are part of the so-called Davao group are also part of the ouster plot.

“Pero wala pa silang narerecruit,” Trillanes said.

(But they have not recruited anybody.)

As for the military, he said retired officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are attempting to recruit active soldiers in the ouster plot.

Trillanes said those recruiting others probably believed that Duterte is still popular among uniformed personnel.

“Maaring popular siya nung siya ay nasa puwesto, pero nung nagkahiwalay na sila ni President Marcos, hindi na sumama sa kanya ang AFP at ang loyalty nila doon sa chain of command,” Trillanes said.

(Duterte may have been very popular when he was in his post, but when he separated from President Marcos, the AFP didn’t side with him and their loyalty is to the chain of command.)

He said the destabilization plot is “very serious.”

READ: AFP vows loyalty to chain of command after Marcos ouster call

Trillanes said there is already a sense of urgency as the International Criminal Court (ICC) is expected to issue an arrest warrant against the principal accused, which includes former president Rodrigo Duterte, by June or July.

Duterte and the others are facing crimes against humanity for the thousands of deaths during the war on drugs.

READ: Duterte, 11 others accused of crimes against humanity before ICC

“Ngayon siguro, it’s a matter of survival na meron na silang sense of urgency to oust President Marcos,” Trillanes said.

(Maybe now it’s a matter of survival that they have a sense of urgency to oust President Marcos.)

Another component that has come into the picture, according to Trillanes, is the June 30 date, where if the vice president is installed as President, she can still run for re-election.

“Itong pag escalate ng kanilang destabilization effort mag coincide ito sa June 30 date kung saan mag two years na ang termino ni VP Sara Duterte and therefore kung makakapuwesto sya after that, eligible sya for reelection sa 2028 just like what happened kay GMA (referring to former president, now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo),” Trillanes said.

The 1987 Constitution prohibits a president from reelection. A person who has succeeded as President and has served for more than four years is qualified for election to the same office.

Trillanes said the information he received came from various sources within the military.

“Marami tayong kilala sa iba’t ibang units ng Armed Forces,” he said adding that he also has processes of gathering information.