Myanmar-Style Coup Will 'Never Happen' in Philippines: Defense Chief

President Duterte has support from the troops.
Photo/s: Department of National Defense/Facebook

A coup d'etat like what happened in Myanmar will "never happen" in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte, who enjoys the military's support, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Monday.

Unlike Myanmar, the Philippines is not ruled by a military junta, Lorenzana said, when asked for comment on developments in Myanmar, where the military detained oppostion leader Aung San Suu Kyi and refused to recognize her November election victory.

A coup "will never happen," Lorenzana said. "The military and police are happy with PRRD. He has our full support," he said, referring to the President's initials.

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Lorenzana also cited Duterte's consistently high approval ratings.

The military has twice been instrumental in the overthrow of presidents: Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and Joseph Estrada in 2001.

During President Gloria Arroyo's term in the 2000s, she stared down two failed military uprisings, which saw the takeover of posh hotels in Makati City.

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