FORMER senator Antonio Trillanes IV yesterday said retired and active police officials have been recruiting fellow policemen in moves meant to oust President Marcos Jr.
Trillanes, in a press conference at a hotel in Mandaluyong City, said the police officials were also enticing members of the Armed Forces to join the ouster move against the President but no one joined.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the PNP has not monitored any destabilization plot or policemen involved in the supposed plot against the Marcos administration.
Fajardo said there is no reason for the police to join such plot, adding “the PNP will remain apolitical and we will always uphold the Constitution.”
She asked Trillanes to spare the PNP, noting the police force is focused on performing its mandate which is ensuring peace and order.
Trillanes, a former Navy officer and among the core leaders of the failed “Oakwood mutiny” against the Arroyo administration in July 2003, said the information on the ouster plot was disclosed to him by sources from the Army.
“Meron pong mga na-identify na active PNP officials — active and retired actually — PNP officials na sumama dito sa destabilization efforts. Pero base sa impormasyon natin, na-identify na sila and mahihirapan na sila gumalaw (Active and retired PNP officials who joined the destabilization efforts have been identified . But based on information, it will now be hard for them to move because they have been identified),” he said.
Asked who is behind the supposed plot against Marcos, Trillanes said it is the “Duterte camp” which saw the urgency amid reports the International Criminal Court will issue arrest warrants against Duterte, his allies Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Christopher Go, his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte, and police officials involved in his bloody war on drugs.
“They will not move without the imprimatur of Duterte, the father. We can see these in his public pronouncements. These are statements meant to agitate, to incite to sedition and rebellion. So, that’s it,” he said in mixed Filipino and English.
He said the motu proprio investigation of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs chaired by Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief under the Duterte government, on the supposed “PDEA leaks” was part of the destabilization efforts.
The supposed leaked documents showed that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency was supposed to conduct an investigation on Marcos and actress Maricel Soriano for alleged illegal drugs use in 2012.
PDEA chief Moro Virgilio Lazo said no such documents ever existed.
The elder Duterte has been saying he has seen documents which showed that Marcos was subject of an investigation due to illegal drugs use. Duterte has been calling Marcos a drug addict.
Trillanes said, “This is part of an ouster plot. They are looking for ways to ignite, to agitate the people and hopefully they can get the support of the armed forces to grab power,” Trillanes said.
Trillanes clarified Dela Rosa is not part of the plot. He said what he was referring to was the committee hearing itself.
“I’m just saying the hearing itself, the way it is being conducted, is part [of the plot]. I became a senator, I also conducted investigations, but we do not conduct motu proprio investigation if it is not a matter of national emergency,” he said.
Dela Rosa said Duterte is not using him to investigate the supposed leaked PDEA documents as he said nobody can ever use him for their personal gains.
Dela Rosa said Trillanes could be being used by his political party.
Dela Rosa also said he is undisturbed by reports that the International Criminal Court will issue warrants for their arrest in June or July, based on Trillanes’ disclosure.
“Go ahead, may my day Mr. Trillanes,” he said.
Dela Rosa said his conscience is clean and he leaves his fate to God with regard to the cases filed against them before the ICC.
He said he is not bothered by the possibility that President Marcos might change his decision to not allow ICC probers to enter the country as he is conducting an investigation on the “PDEA leaks” which implicates the President in illegal drug use.
He said he is just doing his job as a senator to investigate such information.
Trillanes said Dela Rosa is making it appear that he is being oppressed.
