Sobejana denies Duterte wooing soldiers with higher pay, key posts

President Rodrigo Duterte is not courting the good graces of the military with salary increases and whenever he appoints retired officers to key posts in his administration, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana has said.

On "The Mangahas Interviews", Sobejana said Duterte only sought to end the decades-old communist insurgency and the threat of domestic terrorism.

Sobejana said Duterte was only capacitating the organization.

“Hindi naman,” Sobejana told journalist Maloy Mangahas when asked if Duterte was wooing the soldiers with higher pay and plum positions when they retired.

“Ang ano kasi ng Pangulo, talagang gusto niyang tapusin na itong napakahaba na panahon na mayroon tayong insurgency at ito nga ‘yung terorismo,” he added.

Asked if the AFP was loyal to the president or to the profession, Sobejana said the organization was a professional military. He denied any brewing coup or soldiers' participation in a revolutionary government.

As regards the appointments of retired officers to positions in the executive branch, Sobejana said Duterte was only appreciating the efforts of those who came from the military.

He added that soldiers' mandatorily retire at age 54, still relatively young to take on tasks in the government.

“Naisip niya na kukunin para maging katuwang sa kanyang mga adbokasiya lalo na sa security and development program,” Sobejana said. -Joviland Rita/NB, GMA News