Is the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) bracing for Nepal-type mass actions that recently toppled its government?

The military insisted its current posture is merely precautionary, even as sectors prepare to mount protests against alleged large-scale corruption in government infrastructure projects.

In an interview on Sunday, spokesperson Margareth Padilla said the AFP has been placed on red alert status since Friday, 12 September, as part of precautionary measures to maintain peace and order.

“This is standard security protocol. We’d like to emphasize that the public has nothing to worry about. This is simply to ensure the readiness [of the AFP] and [extend] support to the Philippine National Police, which has the primary mandate in maintaining peace and order,” she said.

Under red alert status, scheduled leaves of AFP personnel are placed on hold and troops are put on standby in military camps and are ready to deploy.

The AFP, in coordination with the PNP, said it continues to monitor potential threats that may disrupt protest activities. It also warned against bad actors who may attempt to use the demonstrations to advance their agenda.

“We respect the constitutional right of every Filipino for peaceful assembly. But it is clear that this is our stance: We will not allow anyone, individual or group, to use this situation to bring violence, disunity in our society or chaos,” Padilla said.

Support withdrawal

Padilla stressed that the AFP is a professional organization bound by the Constitution and will uphold its mandate against any public call to withdraw support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“We are anchored in our mandate to defend the nation and the people and not in politics,” she said. “We remain faithful to our chain of command and to the duly constituted authorities — that’s why any call to separate the AFP from this constitutional mandate is clearly inconsistent with its duty as the defender of the republic.”

Moreover, Padilla said the AFP rejects any call that puts the military above its duty to the Filipino people and country.

“We want to be perfectly clear that we have our unwavering loyalty to the Constitution and to the Filipino people — that this is our sworn duty. The role of the AFP is not to arbitrate political matters but to ensure that the solution must be found within our democratic institutions and rule of law, and not through extra-constitutional means,” she said. “This is what we always spread and make understood by the members of our Armed Forces of the Philippines.”

On Saturday, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President is aware of the growing clamor of the public against anomalous flood control projects.

“The President will always respect freedom of expression. So, whatever sentiments our countrymen are feeling right now, the President respects that. Our only prayer is that their sentiments will not be taken up by other people who do not wish good for the government if not to destabilize it. So, the President also supports the grievances of our people because this is against corruption,” she said.

Last week, protests led by the Gen Z youth erupted in Nepal after the government temporarily banned social media platforms. Violent clashes left scores of people dead and injured.

Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned, replaced by Sushila Karki as interim prime minister.