AFP remains non-partisan, says Brawner

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will remain non-partisan amid the ongoing political bickering between the camps of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.

During the military flag ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. reminded soldiers to remain “professional and competent” amid the “myriad of events that shook the country’s political environment” in the past days.

In light of the escalating rift between the President and the Vice President, Brawner urged the soldiers to adhere to the chain of command and remain committed to the oath they pledged upon entering the military service.

“As soldiers, we should not be shaken by this. We vowed to defend the Constitution of the Philippines, that means we vowed to follow the chain of command,” he said.

Brawner underscored that the military organization would “stand united for an equal and peaceful” Philippines.

“We are loyal to our country, we are loyal to our flag, we are loyal to our organization and we are loyal to the Constitution. This also goes to say that we are loyal to the duly constituted authorities — whoever that may be — we are not loyal to any person but to the position. And in that vow that we took, we pledged we will continue to uphold the Constitution,” he said.

In a radio interview, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the military organization remains “faithful to its mandate as defenders of the Constitution.”

“We also serve the people under our President as the Commander-in-Chief,” she added. Padilla said the military and the Presidential Security Command will address the issue between the President and the Vice President.

“Our Presidential Security Command has also stated that they are on heightened alert. This is standard procedure just in case,” she stressed.