AFP monitoring, verifying supposed plot vs gov’t
The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday denied claims about the existence of an alleged destabilization plot against the government, saying there were no signs of unrest within its ranks.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the reports being circulated about the alleged plot, including those mentioned by journalist Ramon Tulfo, remain unconfirmed.
“We will verify all of these reports,” Padilla told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. “We affirm that the Armed Forces of the Philippines is whole. We are united, we remain professional and our allegiance is to the Constitution and to the flag.”
The statement came after Malacañang said the AFP has started looking into a list of supposed destabilizers against the Marcos administration as disclosed by Tulfo on social media.
According to Palace press officer Claire Castro, the information has been relayed to the military’s intelligence community for “monitoring and verification.”
“It doesn’t mean that just because something is said on social media, it should be believed right away. It still needs to be validated,” Castro told reporters in a briefing at Malacañang.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Tulfo claimed that several former and active security officials, politicians and businessmen were allegedly involved in efforts to destabilize the government.
Tulfo further alleged that Vice President Sara Duterte, her brother Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte and former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson were possible financiers of the supposed plot.
Remain professional
Padilla confirmed that the AFP leadership has previously met with several groups, including retired officers, to hear their concerns. She stressed, however, that the military remains loyal to civilian authority.
She also reminded active personnel that they are prohibited from attending political gatherings or protests.
“As we are in a regimented life, we respect the freedom of speech and everyone’s personal opinions,” Padilla said. “But being in uniform, we have to conform to the rules, regulations and policies that are set and we have to remain professional.”
Asked whether troops could join rallies in a personal capacity, Padilla explained that many AFP units are currently under red alert status because of ongoing humanitarian and disaster response (HADR) operations following recent typhoons.
“For now, we are still under red alert because of HADR. We don’t know when it will be lifted,” she said. “If it overlaps with protests, it is because of HADR, not the demonstrations.”
Padilla emphasized that the alert status is meant to ensure readiness and rapid response for any eventuality, not as a reaction to any political activity.
“At this point, we have not detected any destabilization efforts internally within the Armed Forces,” she said. “The noise may be coming from outside, not within the AFP.”
