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| President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines toremain faithful to their sworn duties to the country and the people. (PCO) |
Marcos made the call as he administered the oath of office of 39 top AFP officials. “Malaki ang inyong katungkulan na [gagampanan] pa. Mabigat pa ang mga gawaing naghihintay sa inyo. Marami pa tayong misyon na haharapin. At higit sa lahat, malaki ang inaasahan sa inyo ng sambayanan na ating pinaglilingkuran at ng Republika na ating pinagtatanggol at minamahal,” Marcos said.
He said the added stars conferred upon them are reminders of their heavier responsibility to the country and the people.
“Malaki ang inyong katungkulan na [gagampanan] pa. Mabigat pa ang mga gawaing naghihintay sa inyo. Marami pa tayong misyon na haharapin. At higit sa lahat, malaki ang inaasahan sa inyo ng sambayanan na ating pinaglilingkuran at ng Republika na ating pinagtatanggol at minamahal,” Marcos said. “Huwag natin silang biguin. Iyan ang kapalit ng bago ninyong ranggo. Iyan ang sukli sa kanilang pananalig sa inyo,” the President told the AFP led by Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.
The 39 newly promoted military officers are Army Lt. Gen. Steve Crespillo; Maj. Gens. Arvin Lagamon; Edmundo Peralta; Allan Hambala; Leodevic Guinid; Ramon Zagala; and Domingo Gobway; Brig. Gens Generals Benedict Balaba; Ramon Flores; Jose Jesus Luntok; and Antonio John Divinagracia.
Army Brigadier Gen. Arsenio Sadural was also among the newly promoted officials along with Brig. Gens. Ramon Antonio Bello; Emilio Pajarillo Jr.; Jose Vladimir Cagara; Febie Lamerez; Jose Ricky Laniog; Romualdo Raymund Landingin; Mario Jacinto; and Samuel Manzano.
Commodores Salvador Henry Quinto and Peter Jempsun de Guzman of the PN were also promoted along with Brig. Gen. Ivan D.R. Papera, Commodores Salvador Lavapie Jr. and Brendo Casaclang, Brig. Gen. Romulo Quemado; Commodores Lemuel Espartinez and Jerry Garrido Jr., and Brig. Gen. Ronaldo Juan.
On the part of the Philippine Air Force, the newly promoted are Maj. Gen. Jesus Nelson Morales; Brig. Gens. Lloyd Cabacuñgan, Fernando Ventura; Joselito Lopena; Thad Rufino Candelario; Loreto Pasamonte; Gleen Albert Laguardia; Alvin Hate; and Josel Zuñiga. Brig. Gen. Daniel Tansip of the Chaplain Service was also among the promoted.
Marcos hopes that the added stars on their shoulders may serve as an inspiration in performing their duties with utmost dedication, professionalism, and integrity worthy of emulation as he urged them to “be a boot on the ground, or be among them, and still command from the front.”
“I know that until the last hour of your last day in office, you will do your work that honors our oath, respects our uniform, earns the admiration of our peers, and affirms the prestige that you have earned through a lifetime of service,” he said.
“That you will uphold the principles that made you patriots, professionals, always compliant with command, faithful to our Constitution, loyal to our country and mindful of our conscience,” he added.
Despite their promotion, Marcos noted that their new rank does not send them yet out to their last patrol as they still have “much still left to do, missions to accomplish, service to be selflessly rendered to the people” they have sworn to protect at all cost.
“If any, the stars on your shoulder do not just indicate rank, but are reminders of the responsibilities— added responsibilities that you now have to carry on your shoulders. The more stars there are, the heavier the responsibility. Be mindful always of the weight that that carries. After all, the load that you feel are in fact our people’s hopes,” he said.
“Especially now that we are at the juncture of our history where our nation faces complex security challenges. The response to which requires bold thinking, brave action, which, I know, you can supply in abundant amounts, as befits your rank, and you can summon from your previous experience,” he added.
Last month, the AFP and the Philippine National Police rejected a call by a lawmaker to withdraw its support for Marcos and eventually to step down from power.
Davao Del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, a political ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, has publicly urged the AFP to withdraw its support from Marcos to avoid a war between China and the Philippines due to the mounting tension in the West Philippine Sea.
Alvarez’s call came after Marcos sought cooperation with the United States and Japan in defending the country’s territories and sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea where China continues to harass Filipino vessels.
Criminal investigation
“The AFP is standing steadfast in upholding the Constitution under the leadership of the Commander in Chief President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. Any attempt to sway them away from this duty or to patronize them to support a partisan agenda is futile, particularly when this agenda dovetails with a foreign interest contrary to our own national interests. Calls for them to "withdraw support" will not amount to anything but to a possible criminal investigation,” said Defense Secy. Gilberto Teodoro, Jr.
The military and the police assured their full loyalty to the Constitution and the chain of command, shrugging off calls for them to withdraw their support for Marcos.
China aggression
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. maintained that the military remains a very professional organization. “This is not the first time na nanawagan sila na we pull out our support to the President but our answer is always the same, that the AFP remains to be a professional organization. Very clear po yung mandate natin, we will protect the Constitution and we will follow the duly constituted authorities," he said.
Brawner dismissed claims that the Philippines, under the Marcos administration, is causing tensions in these waters. “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,” he said.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla also released a separate statement, saying soldiers, pilots, and marines are dedicated to their mandate of safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Philippines, regardless of any political affiliations or individuals in authority.
“Our duty is to protect the Filipino people and uphold the rule of law, ensuring that peace and development will prevail throughout the nation. We will continue to fulfill these responsibilities with integrity, impartiality, and utmost dedication,” he said.
Seditious
PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo said they remain loyal to the Constitution and would stick to their mandate of maintaining peace and order. “Let us spare yung uniformed personnel sa mga ganitong mga usaping political,” she said.
Fajardo they are looking into whether Alvarez’s remarks could be considered seditious.
“We will see, we will monitor kung ano ang magiging sitwasyon in terms of peace and security pero sana nga ay meron naman tayong duly constituted authorities at respetuhin yung mga elected officials at so far wala naman basehan sa ngayon para mag-alis or magwithdraw tayo ng supporta sa duly constituted authorities at yan naman sana ay igalang ng lahat,” she said.
Probe
The Department of Justice has already ordered an investigation into the remarks of Alvarez. “I have ordered an investigation on the statements of Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez to determine whether it has risen to the level of Sedition, Inciting to Sedition or even Rebellion,” said Justice Secy. Jesus Remulla.
“As a former lawmaker myself, I would like to remind Congressman Alvarez to act in accordance to the highest standards of ethics, morality and nationalism, and avoid remarks unbecoming of a member of the House of Representatives,” he added.
Destabilization
Rumors of a destabilization plot to unseat Marcos continue despite repeated warnings from the police and military that it will not allow any groups to grab power from the democratic government.
These reports were further aggravated after then PNP Chief General Benjamin Acorda filed charges against a former army general Johnny Macanas, now a vlogger, for claiming that Acorda and Brawner supposedly withdrew their support for Marcos.
Brawner admitted in November last year that there is a plot by former military officers to topple Marcos. He said he spoke to some of those behind the plot not to involve active soldiers. He warned troops to stay apolitical and not to join the destabilization plot
Macanas served as a spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division in Cagayan de Oro City in southern Philippines and was also involved in the 1989 coup against the Aquino government. He now runs the YouTube channel called “The General’s Opinion.”
Acorda, referring to the Macanas’ vlog, said: “It hurts me that there are people na gusto lang maging sikat yung kanilang vlog ay gagawa ng mga disinformation. No less than my face, the face of the Chief of Staff, posted and viral saying the AFP and the PNP withdrawing support or asking for the resignation of the president is unforgivable.”
Macanas, in one of his vloggs, quoted another vlogger “Maharlika” that Marcos was included in the so-called 2017 “Narco List of then President Rodrigo Duterte.” “Si Mr. BBM kasama sa Narco List noong 2017,” he said.
He also said that there is a purported video in the hands of Maharkila showing Marcos allegedly using illegal drugs.
Duterte
In November 2021 at the height of the presidential campaign, Duterte, who frequently throws jabs at Marcos, asked how a presidential bet manages to elude arrest for alleged cocaine use.
Marcos and other presidential candidates, submitted themselves to a drug test. Marcos was tested negative for cocaine, crystal meth and marijuana use and submitted the results to the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police.
“I really don’t feel that I am the one being alluded to. In spite of that, I believe it is my inherent duty as an aspiring public official to assure the Filipinos that I am against illegal drugs,” Marcos said then.
Protect people
Last November, the commanders of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command based in Davao City and Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City said they stand united with Brawner in preventing any destabilization plot against the Marcos administration.
Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command, also reminded troops “to remain professional and dedicated to their constitutional mandates and stern duty of protecting the people and the state.”
Almerol’s statement came a day after the Western Mindanao Command said it had no reports of a destabilization plot in the South.
“We have not monitored any persuasion moves within our ranks or any unauthorized movement in our joint operational area. Our significant administrative and operational gains have consistently been progressive. We will not engage in any other activities not congruent to what we have sworn to do,” Almerol said.
Major Andrew Linao, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command, said Brawner may have been misquoted by the press, saying this destabilization plot had been reported since 2022.
“Na-misquote lang siya dito kasi wala naman report sa amin on the ground as far as Western Mindanao Command is concerned. Last year pa yan balita and si CS (Chief of Staff) is just reminding troops,” he told The Mindanao Examiner.
Linao said they have, nonetheless, mounted a counterintelligence operation to monitor security forces in Mindanao. “Anyway, meron naman tayong CI (counterintelligence) that is monitoring our troops, pero so far wala naman threats or destabilization sa AOR (area of responsibility) natin,” he said.
The Western Mindanao Command and the Eastern Mindanao Command are the largest military headquarters in the South which have operational control over the air force and the naval forces and tens of thousands of soldiers.
Last year, General Rodolfo Azurin Jr., then the chief of the Philippine National Police, also ordered an investigation after receiving reports of the plot in the military to remove Marcos from power. This also triggered an alert among police forces in the country.
Who is behind it?
It was unclear what triggered or pushed former military officers and their group to plot the downfall of Marcos, a former Scout Ranger, and son of Dictator and namesake Ferdinand Marcos who was ousted in a military-backed popular power people revolution in 1986.
However, there were reports that Duterte had been talking to retired military generals, but he denied involvement in any destabilization plots against Marcos.
The destabilization reports first floated after Marcos cut short the term of the AFP Chief-of-Staff General Bartolome Bacarro, a medal of valor awardee, whom he appointed last year to replace General Andres Centino. Bacarro served only five months and was replaced by retiring Centino in August this year. (Mindanao Examiner)
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