Marcos: No PNP, AFP loyalty checks ‘but we might check their records’

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Photo from an RTVM video posted on Facebook)

President Marcos on Friday reminded the military and police to maintain their professionalism amid recurring talk of an alleged “destabilization” plot against his administration.

“Even if you didn’t vote for me, that’s OK with me. As long as you remain professional, you do your job right. That’s my request to the police and the Armed Forces,” the President said when the matter was raised in an interview with reporters in General Santos City.

“I am not sure about loyalty check,” he said when asked if he found a need to have one now. “What will you say to the person? ‘Are you loyal to me?’ Of course, the person will say yes even if he’s not loyal to you.”

“But we might check their records,” he added.

The President said he had not received any intelligence report of such a plot, as earlier alleged by former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

“But maybe some of the retired ones are the ones moving or joining destabilization efforts. But among our policemen and our officer corps, we don’t see any politicking among the police,” Marcos said.

Warning from Bato

Trillanes earlier this week said two senior Philippine National Police officials are involved in a plot to oust Mr. Marcos and install either Vice President Sara Duterte or her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte in power.

Active police officials were supposedly working in cahoots with “a retired PNP chief” and former members of the Duterte Cabinet in the ouster plot, he added.

Reacting to Trillanes’ claim on Wednesday, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who served as PNP chief under Duterte, warned the ex-senator that he might take a beating—“baka mabugbog s’ya”—from the ex-PNP chief he was linking to the supposed plot.

The PNP has appealed to the former senator to spare the police force from political intrigue.