THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday reminded participants of the Nov.30 rally at the Luneta Park not to wear balaclavas or other face coverings which were recently prohibited by the Manila city government.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. on Tuesday warned that any “shortcut” to regime change, including withdrawing military support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. , would throw the country into turmoil and give China a strategic upper hand.
In a press briefing, PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said the local government may reject the protesters’ future applications for rally permits if they violated Manila’s anti-balaclava ordinance.
“One of the prerequisite o requirement of the city government before they approve rally permits are those stated in their memorandum of understanding,” Tuaño said, referring to the ban on balaclava.
The PNP official made the remarks after the Manila Public Information Office posted the anti-balaclava ordinance, or Ordinance No. 9134, on its Facebook page.
“Balaclava, face mask, except for health reasons, are prohibited, including hoodies and any headgear that conceals the face while entering a commercial or government building, and while the motorcycle is parked and on standby mode,” Tuaño said.
The first offense is punishable by a P1,000 fine, the second by a P3,000-penalty, and the third and succeeding offenses by P5,000-fine, plus 15-day imprisonment and the possible revocation of their driver’s license.
In an interview, the AFP chief stressed that any abrupt power shift would not only further damage an economy already rattled by a weakening peso but also leave the Philippines vulnerable to foreign exploitation.
“So when we look at this, and when we decide, we’re not just looking at the political environment of our country, we’re also looking at the bigger picture,” said Brawner.
“For instance, our regional security. They really want us to do what they like—the shortcut to regime change, They (Chinese) will gain from it, and the Philippines would be on the losing side,” Brawner said.
His remarks came amid calls from some retired military officers for the AFP to join a withdrawal of support to topple the Marcos administration over the flood control corruption scandal.
Brawner said the AFP’s rejection of extra-constitutional moves was not tied to Vice President Sara Duterte’s perceived pro-China leanings, even though she would assume power if the President were removed.
“Well, not really… What we are after is the constitutional means. We’re not going to agree with any unconstitutional means of regime change. Kasi nga po, kawawa talaga yung ating bansa,” he said.
Brawner also cited the country’s bloody history of coup attempts, recalling that he personally witnessed the violence of the 1987 and 1989 uprisings.
“In 1989, we saw the protagonists; ssoldier to soldier, brother to brother. We don’t like that,” said Brawner.
He emphasized that the AFP’s loyalty lies not with Marcos or any political figure but with the rule of law.
“As of now, our duly constituted authority is the President. He is our Commander-in-Chief. Therefore, we are going to follow him,” he added.
