Rody tells Congress: Be wary of AFP, PNP

Ex-president cries oppression

-  EDITH REGALADO and BELLA CARIASO

Former president Rodrigo Duterte has warned that people should keep an eye on the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) amid recent political developments, particularly in the House of Representatives.

"Watch the military and the police closely. You who are conniving in Congress. I am not scaring you, but watch the military and the police closely," Duterte said during his Gikan sa Masa Para sa Masa TV program aired over Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) Wednesday night.

He claimed there is uneasiness in the apparently emerging alliance between Speaker Martin Romualdez and ACT-Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, whom the former president says is a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Duterte insinuated that Romualdez has been wooing to his side different groups aside from members of Congress to bolster his presidential bid in 2028.

He said Romualdez has joined hands with Castro and the progressive bloc in filing a complaint against him for grave threats.

Duterte insisted he is not involved in destabilization, but that he is only being frank about the political headwinds which affect the sentiments of the military and the police whose colleagues have been killed by the New People's Army, the armed wing of the CPP.

"Destabilization? Why will I urge the military? What do you think of the military? Bobo (stupid)?" the former president said.

"That is very painful, how many police and soldiers you have killed," he said, adding the military and the police cannot take it sitting down how ranking government officials could collude with CPP members like Castro and her group.

But Duterte said he is not worried that the alliance of Romualdez and the left would prevail. These military and police, he said, are just taking note where the country is going.