Marcos to AFP: Defend gov’t

Uphold your duty to defend the nation against attempts to overthrow the government, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told the military in Tawi-Tawi on Thursday.

Marcos’ message to the 2nd Marine Brigade in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi comes at a time of heightened vigilance against threats to the government, Malacañang said on Friday.

“But the mission is not over, we now have….we transform ourselves from war fighters, we transform ourselves into peacemakers. This is what I emphasize every time I visit our camps,” Marcos told the troops.

“Our mission still includes the need to fight those who attempt to overthrow the government for whatever reason,” he added.

The President has been visiting the regions of the country to speak with military personnel, distribute financial assistance to the people affected by El Niño, and oversee the turnover of land to agrarian reform beneficiaries, amid reports of a plot to topple his administration.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, citing his sources, said certain active and retired police officers were recruiting people to participate in a conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the government.

Despite the destabilization plot, Marcos underscored the government’s commitment to reintegrate former combatants into society, ensuring they will have the means to lead normal lives.

“Now included in our mission is the ongoing peace-making to give fighters, the former fighters, an opportunity for a better life where they are not hiding in the mountains, not always hungry,” Marcos said.

“We, as the government, will do everything to give them a chance to leave their weapons behind, leave their camps, and have a good life,” he added.

According to the President, Tawi-Tawi is now peaceful due to the military’s concerted efforts to change the area’s reputation as a terrorist and rebel stronghold where kidnapping was rampant.

The commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade, Brig. Gen. Nestor Narag Jr., thanked the President for coming to see them.

He said Marcos was the first president to visit the Marines headquarters in Tawi-Tawi.

Marcos paid a visit to the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi headquarters shortly after he distributed relief aid to the farmers and fishermen impacted by the El Niño phenomenon in Tawi-Tawi.