Ex-generals disown Marcos ouster calls, vow to defend Constitution
Retired military generals and Armed Forces of the Philippines officials on Tuesday rejected calls by a small number of former officers for President Marcos to step down, and sought to reassure the public that the military remains a professional and stable institution amid a charged political environment.
The Association of Generals and Flag Officers (Agfo), a group of more than 1,000 retired generals, said it had not been approached to join alleged destabilization activities, stressing its members do not support efforts by some former officers to move against the Marcos administration.
Bound by their oath
“We respect their right to speak, but those actions are not supported by the majority of retired officers, including Agfo,” retired Lt. Gen. Edilberto Adan, former Agfo president and board member, told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
He said Agfo members remain bound by the oath to “defend the Republic of the Philippines, the Constitution, and support the welfare of the Armed Forces personnel.”
On the other hand, Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, inspector general of the Philippine Navy, said the military would not sit idly by against attempts to spread false information that casts doubt on the AFP’s mandate and “incites the public to armed rebellion.”
The statements came after retired Maj. Gen. Romeo Poquiz and a handful of other former officers were linked to protest rallies pressing Mr. Marcos to step down. Some have posted online about taking up arms, claiming to speak for hundreds of retirees.
Agfo clarified that membership in their organization is not automatic for retired generals and that those leading the protests are not part of the group.
Asked about Vice President Sara Duterte’s comment that the government is “unstable,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the AFP can speak only for itself, but that “your Armed Forces of the Philippines is intact.”
“We are a solid and disciplined organization and we remain professional through all of this. Our loyalties remain to the Constitution and to the flag,” Padilla said.
Palace meeting, reaction
The AFP retirees’ disclaimer follows a Sept. 19 meeting between Mr. Marcos and leaders of 10 veterans’ groups, including Agfo, the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association, and reservists’ organizations. In that dialogue, the retirees presented a manifesto backing Mr. Marcos’ pronouncements against corruption, particularly in flood control projects.
The retirees urged an independent probe into alleged anomalies and warned that graft weakens national security by sapping funds meant for, among others, AFP modernization.
They also pressed for higher defense spending, urging the government to raise defense outlays from about 1 percent of gross domestic product to at least 2 percent to help meet the AFP Modernization Act’s goals and to strengthen maritime defenses in the West Philippine Sea.
Mr. Marcos received the proposals positively and encouraged more frequent consultations, with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. also attending the meeting, the retirees said.
For its part, Malacañang on Tuesday dismissed the coup rumors, saying the Commander in Chief had the AFP’s full support.
“The President has full trust in our military that they will remain steadfast and will remain loyal to the Constitution,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a briefing.
She noted that Mr. Marcos acknowledged the anger not just of soldiers but of all Filipinos given the widespread government corruption exposed by the infrastructure controversies.
“We respect the soldier’s individual sentiments because all of us do not want to have the people’s hard-earned money to be stolen,” Castro said.
Local funding
The Department of National Defense is monitoring disinformation and agitation campaigns that aim to undermine political stability, noting that such operations could benefit adversarial states, said Teodoro.
He confirmed that intelligence agencies had received reports pointing to local funding sources behind these efforts, and that no concrete evidence has yet surfaced linking foreign powers to the activities.
Teodoro did not identify individuals or groups allegedly providing resources for the campaigns but said suspicious sites and organizations are under observation.
While warning that disinformation operations, both domestic and foreign, have become more aggressive, Teodoro dismissed rumors circulating online that the AFP could be used to resolve political disputes.
“The military is not the answer to the problems of other sectors of society,” he said. “It is not the solution to political or infrastructure issues.”
Senate executive session
Meanwhile, the rumored moves to unseat Mr. Marcos was tackled during an executive session between the Senate and the national spy agency, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said on Tuesday.
However, Dela Rosa was mum on the details of the private meeting he presided over with the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the National Security Council.
“I am not at liberty to tell you because it was an executive session,” he said.
