Army sacks colonel who withdrew support from Marcos; probe set
A Philippine Army training chief was promptly removed from his post after he publicly announced that he was withdrawing support from President Marcos, the first active duty officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to do so in the wake of the flood control corruption scandal rattling the administration.
“As a Filipino, I am respectfully withdrawing my personal support to Mister Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. He has lost his moral ascendancy to lead the Armed Forces as Commander in Chief and govern the Filipino people as President of the Republic,” Col. Audie A. Mongao said in a statement widely-shared on social media on Friday.
“Sobra na, tama na! (It’s too much, enough!). The Filipino people is worth fighting for … Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!” he added.
1992 PMA grad
Mongao said, however, that he was reaffirming his support for “the AFP and State as mandated by the Constitution.”
A 1992 graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, the Army colonel said he has been in active service for 34 years.
It is unclear where and when his supposed message was made.
Malacañang on Friday said that due process would be followed in the Mongao’s case.
“The President is listening and observing,” Palace Press Officer Claire Casto said in a Viber message to reporters.
“Whoever needs to be held accountable, it is evidence that would be used. Due process would prevail and whatever the law says would be enforced.”
No contact since holidays
Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said that the Army Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, took prompt action against Mongao.
“By the direction of the Commanding General, Col. Mongao was immediately relieved from post and put into [attached/unassigned] status to give way for a thorough investigation by Training Command,” Dema-ala said.
Army Training Command chief Maj. Gen. Michael Logico said on his Facebook page on Friday morning that he had removed Mongao from his post as Commander of the Training Support Group “effective last night” and “attached/unassigned” the officer to his office.
He said that Mongao went on a New Year’s break and could not be contacted.
“My Command has exerted all efforts to reach out to him but has so far been unsuccessful,” Logico said on social media. “We are still reaching out to Col. Mongao so that we may extend to him emotional support. He is still my responsibility.”
Possible charges
According to the Army Training Command chief, the unit was looking into possible administrative and legal charges over Mongao’s statement.
“The Philippine Army remains professional and steadfast behind our mandate, loyal to the Constitution and the chain of command,” Logico said.
The Training Command oversees the Army’s training and courses, develops its internal doctrines, conducts development studies and manages marksmanship programs. It is based in Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac.
Meanwhile, the United People’s Initiative (UPI)—a group of retired military officers—backed Mongao’s action and his declared withdrawal of support for the President.
“These are not words of hate. They are the cry of a patriot who has given his life to the Republic,” it said.
Earlier calls
The group had earlier called on Mr. Marcos to step down over alleged anomalies in infrastructure and flood control projects involving multibillion-peso kickbacks for lawmakers and other officials.
UPI convenor and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Romeo Poquiz, a critic of Mr. Marcos who was recently arrested on charges of inciting to sedition in connection with his statements against the President and the administration, was among those who shared Mongao’s statement on social media.
Poquiz, who is out on bail, called Mongao “a soldier of conscience willing to sacrifice everything for the love of his country.”
In September, Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said he rejected calls from several retired military officers to withdraw support from Mr. Marcos. —WITH A REPORT FROM LUISA K. CABATO
