AFP dismisses alleged calls for civil-military junta

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) maintained Tuesday that there is no military junta within its organization and that it will not engage into such activities.

“Our [AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr.] has already clarified this multiple times that there is no such thing as a military junta within the AFP,” said AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla at a press briefing.

“The AFP will never subscribe to any reset plot and our Constitution has no cheat codes. So we will always go to the side of the Constitution, the constitutional processes that are in place,” she added.

On Sunday, Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said that he received, and subsequently ignored, offers to join a “civil-military junta” aiming to remove President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte from office.

The offer was made by some retired military personnel, according to him.

“Madaming malikot ang isip, kasi ‘pag ganitong merong crisis, lalo nang napakatalamak ang katiwalian, minsan di mo na din [mapipigil] yung iba na mag-isip ng kung ano-ano. Siguro, in their passion para mabago yung sistema kasi naging systemic kasi yung corruption. Doon sila nanggagaling,” Lacson said.

(There are a lot of people with wild ideas, because when a crisis like this happens and wrongdoings are prevalent, sometimes you can’t [stop] some people from thinking a lot of things. I guess, it’s in their passion to change the system since corruption has become systemic. That’s where they come from.)

Since this involved retired military officials, Padilla said other agencies are the ones that should look into the matter but the military will do its role if needed.

“This is through their democratic processes. Ang tinitignan natin diyan, this is for other agencies to look into. Ang sa amin is the national security implications of it. But makikipagtulungan pa rin po ang AFP kung ano po ang role na dapat naming gampanan diyan,” she said.

(This is through their democratic processes. What we are looking at is for other agencies to look into it. What we are looking at is the national security implications of it. But the AFP will still cooperate for its role.)

“Sa AFP, wala pong puwang sa republika ang extra constitutional shortcuts whatsoever. Hindi po ito parang isang video game na puwede pong nating i-restart. So I  would go back to that premise na wala pong  restart plot within the AFP,” she added.

(For the AFP, there is no room in the republic for extra constitutional shortcuts whatsoever. It’s not like a video game that we can restart. So I would go back to that premise that there is no restart plot within the AFP.)

November 30 rally

Meanwhile, the AFP urged organizers of the massive rallies on November 30 to ensure a peaceful conduct of the protests.

“We are asking rally organizers to police their ranks because public safety is a shared responsibility. Ang kapayapaan po at kaayusan ng anumang pagtitipon ay nakasalalay din sa malinaw at responsable nilang pamumuno,” Padilla said.

(We are asking rally organizers to police their ranks because public safety is a shared responsibility. The peace and order of any gathering also depends on their clear and responsible leadership.)

“We trust them to uphold discipline so the event remains peaceful and lawful. We call on our rally organizers to police your ranks and ensure that participants remain disciplined and non-violent. Ang layunin po natin ay simple peaceful gathering where voices can be heard without putting anyone at risk,” she added.

(We trust them to uphold discipline so the event remains peaceful and lawful. We call on our rally organizers to police your ranks and ensure that participants remain disciplined and non-violent. Our goal is a simple peaceful gathering where voices can be heard without putting anyone at risk.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News