Brawner: AFP remains professional amid Marcos ouster call

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. rejected the call to the military to withdraw its support to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., stressing that the country is “not causing trouble” in the West Philippine Sea.

“This is not the first time na nanawagan sila na (that they called for), that we pull out our support to the President, but our answer is always the same—that the AFP remains to be a professional organization,” Brawner told reporters on Monday.

“Our mandate is very clear, we will protect the constitution and we will follow the duly constituted authorities,” he added.

Brawner said the AFP will follow the chain of command and stressed that the President is the military’s Commander-in-Chief.

“Whoever the President is, it’s very clear that we will follow the chain of command, susundan namin ang mga utos ng ating (we will follow the orders of our) commander in chief who is also our President and it is very clear to all the soldiers,” he pointed out.

Brawner said he reminded the entire AFP members, including the scout rangers, special forces, light reaction regiment, as well as special operators of the Philippine navy and air force, “to be loyal to the constitution and to follow the duly constituted authorities.”

In a rally of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s die-hard supporters in Tagum City on Sunday, Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez urged the AFP to withdraw its support from the President as expressed concerns over the possible war in the West Philippine Sea.

Alvarez previously lamented that Marcos’ current foreign policy is causing the growing tension in the WPS.

“I respectfully call for our President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to stop making decisions and actions that will further escalate the tensions between the Philippines and China. Realistically speaking, we cannot compete with China in terms of military strength,” Alvarez said.

Brawner, however, dismissed Alvarez’s notion.

“No, definitely we are not the ones causing tension in the West Philippine Sea, it's the other way around. We are going on with our usual business, our fishermen, our fishing in our exclusive economic zone, and the AFP and the Coast Guard are protecting our fishermen so that they are able to fish in our exclusive economic zone, we are able to do service,” he said.