PNP will not support Trillanes – Albayalde
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde announced on Wednesday that the 190,000-strong police force is united and will not express support for embattled Senator Antonio Trillanes IV amid the revocation of his amnesty.
The bold statement was issued by Albayalde in a press briefing at Camp Crame after President Duterte's statement during a television interview that there is a faction in the military expressing support for Trillanes, a former Navy officer.
"Wala. I have repeatedly said that zero sa amin 'yan sa PNP. Wala tayong namo-monitor kahit na little support, in any way, dito kay Senator Trillanes (None. I have repeatedly said that he gets zero [support] from the PNP. We have not monitored even little support, in any way, for Senator Trillanes)," Albayalde said.
In a televised meeting with Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo Tuesday afternoon, Duterte turned to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and "encouraged" them to unseat him if they see him no longer fit to be the President of the Philippines.
"If the AFP thinks I am not competent, that I am not qualified to be sitting here, I discussed this with them in a command conference -- bahala kayo (do whatever you want)," he said.
The President claimed that Trillanes "did not do anything" for the military but if they still want to take Trillanes' side, he said they should go to him and stage a mutiny or revolution.
As for the PNP, Albayalde assured that there is no need to conduct a loyalty check within their ranks as they remain loyal to three things: the Constitution, the Filipino people, and the Duterte administration.
"Hindi na namin sila kailangan i-remind (We don't need to remind them). We don't even need to have a loyalty check in our ranks," he said.
While the PNP, in nature, are mandated by its Ethical Doctrine to remain apolitical, non-partisan and professional, Albayalde has repeatedly said in the past that he sees nothing wrong in expressing support for the Duterte administration since they also are being backed by the President.
"We pledge support to the present administration. Wala naman tayong nakikitang masamang ginagawa, na labag sa konstitusyon. So bakit tayo kokontra? (We have not seen the administration doing something bad, they don't violate the Constitution. So why should we oppose them?)," Albayalde said.
The AFP, for its part, earlier belied speculations that there are factions within the organization, adding that they remain united and loyal to the Constitution and to the Filipino people.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana Wednesday reiterated that no arrest will be conducted on Senator Antonio Trillanes IV in the absence of a warrant of arrest to be issued by the court.
This despite the Supreme Court decision which turned down the preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order (TRO) sought by Senator Trillanes against the presidential proclamation that voided his amnesty.
"No warrant, no arrest," Lorenzana reiterated.
On Tuesday, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo said that they will refrain from making any comment whether or not the military will already arrest Trilllanes following the SC's decision.
Arevalo said they will immediately issue an appropriate statement once they get a copy of the SC decision. (With a report from Francis Wakefield)