A coalition identifying as the “Citizen National Guard” and the “Save the Nation Movement” issued a stark warning on Thursday, alleging a wide-ranging conspiracy involving foreign intelligence agencies, terrorist groups, and domestic political opponents to forcibly oust President Rodrigo Duterte through destabilization, propaganda, and even assassination.
In a press statement delivered by economist Antonio “Butch” Valdes, the group declared the nation to be under grave threat and called on all patriotic Filipinos to unite behind the president and the armed forces to defend the republic’s sovereignty.
Core Allegations and Accusations
The statement presented a series of interconnected claims, framing current national challenges as part of a deliberate plot:
- Foreign-Backed Regime Change: The group asserted that “insidious attempts at regime change by foreign intelligence agencies have reached critical levels.” They specifically named the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and European agencies, accusing them of working through media outlets like the New York Times and Washington Post, alongside local surrogates, to destroy popular support for President Duterte.
- Domestic Conspiracy: The statement accused “certain members of the previous administrations of the executive branch, legislature, and judiciary” of actively conspiring with these foreign and other groups. It listed crimes including plunder, murder, usurpation of authority, and treason as their motivations.
- Terrorism as a Tool: It claimed that the morale sieges by extremist and terrorist groups are part of a “larger conspiracy to forcibly acquire Philippine territories” and establish caliphates, aiming to cause mass destruction and general destabilization.
- Alliance of “Evil Forces”: The group alleged that these foreign architects are capable of conspiring with the New People’s Army (NPA), the Maute group, drug syndicates, and the political opposition to oust the president “by all illegal means,” including assassination. They warned that success would lead to “unprecedented widespread turmoil, bloodshed, Civil War, and the dismemberment of society.”
Support for Duterte’s Policies
The statement framed President Duterte’s controversial policies as acts of national defense that triggered the alleged conspiracy:
- His independent foreign policy, particularly the refusal to allow Philippine territory to be used as a military base for “a foreign nation planning to install offensive nuclear-armed missiles.”
- His bloody war on drugs and campaign against corruption and crime, which the group claimed prompted a “reaction of negative propaganda” from regime-change architects.
Call to Action and Solemn Oath
Declaring the situation a “grave and imminent danger,” the Citizen National Guard and Save the Nation Movement rejected any foreign-instigated regime change. They issued a call for national unity, urging Filipinos to “discard ideological differences, party affiliations, [and] disparity of religious beliefs” to stand behind one flag.
The group, claiming to represent soldiers, teachers, doctors, farmers, professionals, students, and religious sectors, pledged a “solemn oath to defend and protect the integrity of the Republic” and to support the president.
Event Details and Tone
The press statement was delivered by economist Antonio “Butch” Valdes, who acknowledged the presence of officials including the Secretary of the Department of Justice and the Chief of the Public Attorney’s Office, as well as Colonel Herbert Escalera. The tone was set by a quotation from Marcus Tullius Cicero warning of the danger posed by traitors within a nation, signaling the group’s view of the threat as internal and existential.
The statement emerges amid sustained international criticism of the Duterte administration’s human rights record and its drug war, which has left thousands dead. It echoes longstanding rhetoric from the president and his supporters accusing political opponents and foreign entities of plotting against his government.#
