MALACAÑANG yesterday denied that there were new threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. amid the recent cancellation of his attendance at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City next week.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the National Security Council has not monitored any threats against the President but added that security measures are in place and the Armed Forces remain vigilant to ensure Marcos’ safety.
Castro also said the President’s decision to skip the UNGA was not the result of massive protest actions aimed at corruption in anomalous flood control projects, adding that the mass actions hardly bother Marcos.
“Hindi naman po nangangamba ang Pangulo dahil alam po niya na ang pagpuprotesta ng taumbayan ay tungkol sa paglaban sa korapsyon. At binanggit din po niya kahapon na siya mismo ang nagsimula upang mapaimbestigahan itong mga maanomalyang flood control projects (The President is not worried because he knows that the people’s protests are about fighting corruption. And he also mentioned yesterday that he himself initiated an investigation into these anomalous flood control projects),” she said.
Malacañang on Monday said the President cancelled his visit to the United States “to allow him to focus on local issues.”
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro has been delegated to represent Marcos at the UNGA.
“Maliban po sa naging pagbabanta dati ng Bise Presidente sa buhay ng Pangulo, base po sa National Security Council ADG (Assistant Director General) Cornelio Valencia, wala po na direct threat sa buhay ng Pangulo (Apart from the previous threats against the life of the President from the Vice President and based on the statement of National Security Council ADG Cornelio Valencia, there is no direct threat against the life of the President),” Castro said.
Castro reiterated what Marcos had said before, that if he were not the President, he would join rallies and his fellow advocates against corruption.
The President has formed the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) that will investigate anomalous infrastructure projects in the last 10 years, starting with flood control projects.
Marcos named retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Andres Reyes Jr. to chair the ICI and former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson and SGV and Co. Country Managing Partner Rossana Fajardo as members. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong was named as special adviser.
Castro also said the AFP has asked critics and detractors of the government to refrain from dragging the military into politics.
“Ang sabi ng AFP ay huwag silang gamitin sa pamumulitika – tama naman po. Ito pong pagpoprotesta na ito ay huwag nating ihalo iyong mga military/uniformed personnel dahil ang protestang ito ay manggagaling talaga sa taumbayan at hindi po sila dapat gamitin para magkaroon ng destabilization (The AFP says not to use them for politics – that’s right. Let’s not mix military/uniformed personnel with this protest because this protest will really come from the people and they should not be used to cause destabilization),” she said.
There were calls on social media for the military and the police to withdraw their support from Marcos amid the massive corruption in government.
PNP DEPLOYMENT
Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla yesterday said the PNP will deploy 50,335 police to ensure the peaceful conduct of the September 21 rally at Luneta Park.
Remulla said the PNP personnel will perform various jobs, including police visibility, traffic assistance, checkpoints and border control.
“The PNP will make sure there is no trouble,” said Remulla during an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel.
“The PNP will not suppress them. The PNP will not stop them in any way, and we will make sure it is just a peaceful rally,” the DILG chief added.
Remulla said Malacanang is not against the issuance of rally permits to the groups joining the planned protest.
“There is no opposition on the Palace’s part to granting any permits. In fact, they will assist them…The President is one with them, and it is a different case that happened in the other countries,” said Remulla.
Remulla emphasized that President Marcos Jr. is supportive of the rally.
“I hope half a million people will show up and show indignation against these people. I hope they will vent, and I hope that there is a release of their anger in a very peaceful way, of their disappointment in how things have transpired,” said Remulla.
AFP NEUTRAL
The Armed Forces yesterday said it will not take sides in relation to the planned September 21 mass protest against corruption in the government.
“We do not have any other color than the uniform that we wear,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla told a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.
“Our allegiance is to the flag and to the duly-constituted authorities. We will follow the Constitution,” said Padilla, adding the AFP has evolved into a “very professional organization” through the years.
“We trust that each member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be professional in this matter,” added Padilla, referring to the upcoming protests.
“We remain focused on our mandate on national security; we should not forget about the territorial defense and the West Philippine Sea issues,” added Padilla.
Padilla said the military is “very vigilant” and it has “contingency measures in place.”
“But again, I would like to emphasize that law enforcement and peace and order are the primary roles of the Philippine National Police,” said Padilla.
The Armed Forces declared its highest alert status, Red Alert, last September 12 amid the series of protests in Metro Manila over the past days.
Padilla stressed that the declaration of the Red Alert is a “standard security protocol” so the Armed Forces will be able to “stand ready for any eventuality.”
Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the PNP is ready to secure Department of Public Works officials during their inspection of flood control projects.
Nartatez made the statement days after Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla said the PNP will be providing security to DPWH personnel involved in the inspection amid threats to their lives.
“The entire Philippine National Police stands united behind the President’s call for transparent and accountable infrastructure development,” said Nartatez.
“Our primary duty is to safeguard the people and the projects that will protect our communities from flooding. While we are not experts in engineering, we are experts in ensuring safety, and we will see to it that these inspections remain free from any threat,” added Nartatez.
Nartatez said regional and local police offices have already been given instructions to ensure the security of these DPWH inspections.
“We are one with the government in keeping these initiatives safe. Every flood-control project that shields our communities deserves full protection, and every PNP unit—from the national headquarters to the smallest station—is committed to that mission,” said Nartatez.
‘PEACEFUL ACTIONS’
Mirroring the actions of the late EDSA People Power Revolution icon Jaime Cardinal Sin in 1986, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula yesterday called on the faithful to make their voices against corruption heard but stressed that it must be in “concrete but peaceful and non-violent actions”.
In a Pastoral Statement on the issue of corruption, Advincula rallied the public to take a stand against massive corruption in flood control projects via acts that are morally acceptable.
“The issue of corruption plaguing our nation cannot be ignored anymore. The catastrophe it has caused is shaking the soul of our country and has awakened the seemingly lethargic resolve of many Filipinos to make a stand against corrupt practices and to demand accountability from the guilty,” said Advincula.
“One with my brother bishops in the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, I, therefore, enjoin all parishes, shrines, chaplaincies, mission stations, and religious communities to conduct prayerful reflections, circles of discernment, and concrete but peaceful and non-violent actions against corruption,” he added.
The Cardinal said he is one with the Filipino faithful in condemning the corruption-filled projects that have recently been revealed.
He said he also agrees with the people showing “collective moral conviction and an exercise of their rightful obligation” to suppress the proliferation of corruption.
“Corruption is more than just a manifestation of greed. It is a concrete form of evil. If left unchecked, society will be ruined by it, including the core of our humanity, that is, our dignity,” said the prelate.
“The many organized rallies denouncing corruption and demanding accountability are not merely pockets of political resistance. They are not just expressions of disgust and anger directed at the perpetrators of one of the vilest scams in the history of our nation,” added Advincula.
The Pastoral Statement of Advincula comes in time for the forthcoming mass action on September 21 at the People Power Monument in Quezon City.
Dubbed as the Trillion Peso March Against Corruption (TPM), the protest action aims to demand justice and accountability for the recent flood control fund anomalies.
A total of 211 church groups, political parties, universities, civil society organizations, and youth and student movements, as well as 56 individuals, have expressed their support for the protest actions.
Advincula said the Pastoral Statement is to be disseminated in all communities in the Archdiocese of Manila through social media platforms, newsletters, preaching, and formation sessions. – With Victor Reyes and Gerard Naval
