Año warns of communist plot to embarrass Marcos

MANILA, Philippines — Security measures are in place for the inauguration of president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said yesterday as he warned of a possible move by leftists and communist rebels to embarrass the new chief executive.

Año said the Communist Party of the Philippines may be planning to embarrass Marcos as he assumes office but said the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is prepared for it.

“We are not privy to the specific intelligence report but we can surmise that CPP-NPA (New People’s Army) and its cohorts actually have the intent to cause embarrassment to president-elect Bongbong Marcos because it’s what leftist groups had been doing to presidents right from the start,” he said in English and Filipino at a press briefing.

“So it’s probably the motive of some groups – to ruin the image of the incoming administration,” he said.

Año stressed the government, Philippine National Police and NTF-ELCAC “are prepared for it.”

“We will not allow any group to conduct any nefarious activities much more to discredit the incoming administration and we will do it all within the legal bound of the law,” he added.

Año’s security assurance came after former senator Juan Ponce Enrile claimed that there is a conspiracy among groups from the United States and the Philippines to undermine the incoming administration.

The head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said they are still verifying Enrile’s claim.

“The intelligence community is into it and not only yung mga plan to embarrass but also you know this is a big event, this inauguration. There will be large gathering of officials – both the outgoing president and the incoming president. So we need big preparation,” he added.

The PNP, through spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo, made it clear that protest rallies near the venues for the inauguration of Marcos and vice president-elect Sara Duterte in Manila and Davao City will not be allowed.

“Definitely, rallies won’t be allowed both in Davao City and at the National Museum,” Fajardo said in an interview over dzBB yesterday.

Fajardo said critics of the incoming administration are free to hold demonstrations at designated freedom parks. The nearest freedom park at the National Museum is Liwasang Bonifacio.