Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio听Catapang听Jr. AFP PUBLIC AFFAIRS
MANILA, Philippines鈥揘ewly-appointed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Gregorio听Pio听Catapang听Jr. said there was听no intelligence听report听of any destabilization plot听against听the Aquino administration, saying the military鈥檚听morale now is 鈥渉igh.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 no intelligence on that,鈥澨鼵atapang听told reporters after attending a Senate hearing on听Wednesday.
鈥淲ala naman pong rason dahil maayos naman po ang pamamalakad ng ating mahal ng Pangulo. Sobrang suportado po kami sa modernization program namin听(There鈥檚 no reason because our beloved听President听is running听the country well, he听is very much supportive of our modernization program),鈥� he said.
Colonel Ramon听Zagala, Public Information Chief of the AFP also denied that there are coup plots against Aquino.
鈥淲e remain partisan-free and professional,鈥澨齔agala听said in an interview over听Radyo听Inquirer 990AM.
Asked about Senator Antonio 鈥淪onny鈥澨齌rillanes听IV鈥檚 reported statements听that retired generals close to former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria听Macapagal-Arroyo were allegedly plotting to oust Aquino,听Catapang听stressed: 鈥淲ala听po听iyan,听wala听po听kaming听report听na听ganoon听(That鈥檚 nothing. We have no report on that).鈥�
鈥淢ataas听po听ang听morale ng听mga听sundalo听natin听kasi听lalo听nga听po听na听highlight听doon听sa听Sona听(State of the Nation Address)听noong听ating听mahal听na听Pangulo听na听ipinakita听iyong听mga听naitulong听niya听sa听Armed Forces (The morale of our soldiers is high听especially when the President highlighted in his听Sona听what he has done to the armed forces),鈥� he said.
When asked about possible coup threat from retired and inactive members of the military,听Zagala听said they have not monitored any activity of its possibility among them.
But he said, retired and inactive members of the military are now civilians and have regained their freedom of expression and assembly.
鈥淭hey have already regained their freedom of expression and it is not the policy of the AFP to curtail anybody鈥檚 right,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e will not curtail their rights,鈥� he added.
He mentioned that there are some who are 鈥渄isgruntled鈥� but was quick to say that it is 鈥渏ust a mere expression鈥� and would not transform into a possible coup threat.
Catapang, meanwhile, said there was no need to conduct a loyalty check听since the soldiers听remain loyal to their Commander-in-Chief.
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