Marcos Jr. maintains trust in AFP amid assassination plot claims

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. continues to express confidence in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) despite National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag’s statement that active uniformed personnel are among the persons of interest in the alleged plot to assassinate the President. Matibag made the statement during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday. He also said another person of interest is a member of the Vice President’s security detail. READ: NBI tags persons of interest in Duterte’s alleged kill plot vs Marcos “So, the President continues to have full trust in our armed forces. If there are any who stray from their mandate, they should be identified as well for the President’s protection,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in Filipino during a press briefing. Castro added that those who may be planning to violate the law in order to protect or advance the interests of a single individual should be identified. “For now, the President knows whom he can trust. There is no loyalty check being conducted at this time. That is a matter for the security sector and the leadership of the armed forces,” Castro said. During the impeachment trial, Matibag narrowed down the list of persons of interest to fewer than 20 individuals. He said the NBI is already in communication with the families of some of them. In November 2024, Duterte said during an online press conference that she had instructed someone to assassinate Marcos, first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. “I already talked to someone. I told the person, ‘If they kill me, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez.’ No joke, no joke. I’ve left instructions,” Duterte said in Filipino. The NBI subsequently issued a subpoena to Duterte, but she did not comply. /jpv