AFP dismisses calls to make a stand on controversies hounding gov't

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday dismissed calls by former ambassador Roy Señeres for the military to make a stand on controversies hounding the administration. In a press briefing, AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres said the military will contradict its mandate if it intervenes or withdraws support from the government, saying doing so would be unconstitutional. “We will never support any call for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to do something unconstitutional... Our mandate is very clear in the constitution that we need to protect the Filipino people, that we have to secure the sovereignty of the state and we need to preserve the integrity of the national territory," said Torres. In a statement distributed to reporters during a media forum at the Rembrant Hotel in Quezon City, Señeres said it is “deplorable" that the AFP is still unaffected “in spite of the serial emergence of scandals in the country." Señeres stressed the military's role as the protector of the people. “I am not asking the AFP to stage a rebellion or sedition or coup d’ etat. After all, there is a completely legitimate, peaceful and bloodless way of terminating the reign of a government that 'has ceased to be a servant of the people', and that is by way of withdrawal of support," Seneres said in a longer statement posted on his website. In rebuffing Señeres, Torres said the military cannot engage in a partisan political activity. Incidentally, the military has played the major role in unseating two presidents during the EDSA I and EDSA II uprisings. “It is very clear in our Constitution that the military should remain non-partisan so we cannot engage in either as individual or as a unit. We cannot engage in any partisan political activity, except to vote," Torres said. “So we will stick with that mandate and it is very clear that our leaders (in the AFP) down to the last soldier, to the lowest ranking soldier will stick to that mandate," he added. Asked if Señeres' statement may be considered seditious, Torres said: “We have our legal minds to determine really if something is violated, if something went against the constitution by making such statement. Its not for us to determine that." - GMANews.TV