AFP blasts coup rumors as ‘outright lie’

Manila, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has issued on Thursday a public warning against a social media post spreading rumors of a supposed coup plot.

The post that circulated had claimed Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. as working with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to allegedly lead a coup d’etat that will remove President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. from office.

“The public is warned in the strongest terms against a vile and malicious fabrication now circulating online, which alleges a supposed coup plot involving the CIA, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Secretary of National Defense,” the AFP said.

“This is an outright lie,” it added.

The military said the coup rumors was a “deliberate attempt to poison the minds of our people, weaken the chain of command, and sow division between the Commander-in-Chief and the Armed Forces.”

It reiterated that soldiers remain loyal to the Constitution and follow the chain of command.

NewsWatch Plus news anchor Lois Calderon contributed to this story.