Retired General Romeo Poquiz has denied claims that the United People’s Initiative (UPI), the group he leads, approached Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson to push for a supposed “civil-military junta.”
In an interview on Monday, November 24, Poquiz dismissed the allegation as baseless.
“Wala pong katotohanan ‘yan,” Poquiz said. “In fact, ‘yong aming grupo ay isang patriotic na kilusan, non-partisan, non-political, non-violet saka rules-based.”
He added, “‘Yon pong sinasabi nilang civilian-military junta ay hindi po naaangkop sa amin dahil kami ay constitutional-based. Wala pong katotohanan ‘yon. Wala hong lumapit sa aming grupo kay General Lacson.”
This comes after Lacson earlier revealed in a separate interview that he received an offer to join a planned civil-military junta.
“Sa akin may nag-udyok [at] gusto civil-military junta. May mga nagme-message retired military hindi ko ibabanggit ang pangalan, dine-dedma ko nga,” the senator said.
A civil-military junta is an authoritarian setup where top military officials take the reins of government.