Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. 鈥擯hoto from PAOAFP
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. on Wednesday rejected former President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 call for the military to 鈥渃orrect鈥� what the former leader claimed as the 鈥渇ractured governance鈥� of President Marcos.
鈥淭hat is not our job. Our job is to protect the Republic of the Philippines, protect its people, defend our territory, and defend our sovereignty and our sovereign rights,鈥� Brawner said at a leadership summit for military personnel at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
Brawner said the military would remain professional and competent, reacting to Duterte鈥檚 admonition, 鈥渦ntil when will you support a drug addict president?鈥�
READ: Palace: Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 鈥榠nsulting鈥� call to AFP just for Sara takeover
According to the AFP chief, 鈥渕ilitary adventurism鈥� such as what happened in the past would not prosper, adding that 鈥渨e will not take the law into our hands, we will remain professional.鈥�
He reminded the military to remain apolitical and loyal to the Constitution.
鈥淲e recognize that all of us have political opinions [and] political inclinations, but while we are wearing our uniform, we must follow the Constitution and protect the country,鈥� he pointed out.
鈥淲e cannot just air our grievances freely, being members of the (AFP). If we want to do that, better to just resign. We should take off our uniform,鈥� he said.
Speaking to reporters after his speech, Brawner said he reminded brigade and battalion commanders during a video teleconferencing 鈥渙f the vow that we took, that we will defend the Constitution and the Republic of the Philippines.鈥�
Military鈥檚 assurance
Lawmakers also rejected Duterte鈥檚 call on the AFP to take action.
The military should not get involved in 鈥減urely civilian concerns鈥� that affect Filipinos, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino 鈥淜oko鈥� Pimentel III said on Wednesday.
鈥淣o military intervention or action can ever improve the politics in this nation, as well as the Filipino people鈥檚 quality of life, as these are purely civilian concerns,鈥� Pimentel said in a Viber message. 鈥淲e should uphold civilian supremacy at all times over the military.鈥�
Pimentel acknowledged that the country was beset with problems involving its political system, lamenting that the 鈥減olitical discourse has significantly deteriorated,鈥� but this must be solved by the Filipino people themselves through the recognized constitutional and legal processes,鈥� such as holding an election.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada also reminded the AFP to stay loyal to the Constitution.
Appearing before the Commission on Appointments for his confirmation and that of 21 other ranking military officials, AFP Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Jimmy Larida assured Estrada that there were 鈥渘o grumblings鈥� in the 160,000-strong force.
鈥淵ou have to be loyal to the Constitution,鈥� Estrada told Larida, who agreed with the senator.
Gov鈥檛 must be on guard
Despite the assurance from the military establishment, former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday cautioned the Marcos administration against being complacent about Duterte鈥檚 provocation.
Trillanes, a former Navy officer, said that while there was currently a 鈥渟mall, maybe 5 percent鈥� of military officials sympathetic to Duterte, he advised the government to 鈥渕ake sure that the Dutertes will not get any more (support from the) military because this will be a big problem.鈥�
Those sympathetic officers, he said, were mostly junior officers, 鈥渂ut the senior officers so far, they are solidly behind the President.鈥�
Trillanes, who led a failed 2007 mutiny against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, also noted the small gathering of pro-Duterte supporters at Edsa Shrine last Tuesday night and urged Marcos 鈥渘ot to dismiss them so easily鈥� and learn from the lessons of their own family鈥檚 ouster in 1986.
鈥淎ny political crisis that could happen, they can easily take advantage of that. We鈥檝e seen that happen in (the 1986 Edsa Revolution) itself. It started small, nobody was paying attention; the administration was too lax because it was popular鈥攁nd then within a few months, they (the Marcoses) were ousted.鈥�