Trillanes: No coup against Duterte

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV belied yesterday the claims of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria Sison that incoming president Rodrigo Duterte could face a coup d’etat and even assassination attempts by disgruntled military officers with the senator’s support.

Trillanes said that he has no intention of overthrowing Duterte as president and is not part of any plan to destabilize the new administration as claimed by Sison.

In an earlier statement, Trillanes aired his concerns about the plan of Duterte to recruit members of the CPP in his Cabinet, including Sison, in order to get the communist rebels back to the peace process with the government.

Trillanes said that the government should be cautious in dealing with the communists, who he said have not demonstrated any act of good faith.

“Let me categorically state that I am not part of or even planning any coup d’etat,” Trillanes said.

“Presumptive president Duterte was duly elected by the people and the proper way of removing him from office, in case he violates the Constitution, is through impeachment,” he added. 

If ever a coup by disgruntled members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police happens in the future, Trillanes said that “it would only be because they couldn’t stand the sight of Joma Sison and his communist buddies being part of a coalition government after remorselessly killing tens of thousands of soldiers, policemen and innocent civilians in pursuit of their universally discredited ideology.”