Año warns of communist conspiracy to humiliate BBM

MANILA — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday stated that security measures are set for the inauguration of president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as he warned of a possible move by leftists and communist rebels to embarrass the new chief executive.

Año stated that the Communist Party of the Philippines may attempt to humiliate Marcos as he assumes office, but noted that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is ready for such an event.

“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 emphasized that 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 gave the security assurance after former senator Juan Ponce Enrile claimed that there is a plot among groups from the United States and the Philippines to sabotage the incoming administration.

Enrile’s claim is still being verified, according to the head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“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.

Protest rallies near the venues for the inauguration of Marcos and vice president-elect Sara Duterte in Manila and Davao City, according to PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo, will be prohibited.

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

Protests against the incoming administration are permitted at designated freedom parks, according to Fajardo. Liwasang Bonifacio is the nearest freedom park at the National Museum.