Philippines foils plot to assassinate president

Philippine police announced today that they had dismantled a gun supply line for a group planning to assassinate President Rodrigo Duterte.

President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: Reuters

During a press conference at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Quezon City, suspect Wilford Palma admitted to being a member of the gun smuggling group and said "customer number one" had ordered the gun parts.

"The boss told me that 'customer number one' had ordered gun parts to assassinate President Duterte," GMA News quoted Palma as saying.

The customer is said to have ordered 100 loading parts, 40 barrels and 30 bolts, capable of making 100 M-16 rifles. Police believe he was not part of the gang hired to kill Mr. Duterte but was only responsible for purchasing the weapons.

Investigators seized weapons worth about 4.5 million pesos (nearly $100,000) from the gang. The weapons were imported from the United States and then sold to customers across the Philippines through a weapons forum.

Gun trafficking ringleader Bryan Ta-Ala is currently in the intensive care unit of a hospital suffering from high blood pressure.

Police will verify Palma's testimony and consider him as a witness during the investigation.

According to VNE