The Armed Forces of the Philippines yesterday denounced exiled communist leader Joma Sison for branding President Duterte as a traitor who could be easily removed from power and taken into custody by the Philippine military and police on the orders of the United States.
Col. Noel Detoyato, AFP public affairs chief, stressed that the Philippines is a sovereign country which does not take orders from other countries.
“We’re a sovereign country. We have our own democratic institutions. Ang sinasabi ni Joma is an indication of his state of mind,” Detoyato said.
Sison has criticized Duterte after he dared the United States to “fire the first shot” and “declare a war” against China amid the rising tension in the disputed West Philippine Sea.
“Without firing a single shot, the US can easily instruct its following within the military and police forces under Duterte to take him into custody as a traitor and to install Vice President Robredo as the constitutional successor,” Sison said.
Detoyato said the military has no plans of arresting or staging a coup against Duterte since he is the duly elected President and commander-in-chief.
“This coward (Sison) has gone insane. He is already muttering words of an old man whose memory has abandoned him,” he stressed.
Detoyato dared the Netherlands-based communist leader to “come back to the Philippines and face reality.” (Martin Sadongdong)