MANILA – Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. urged soldiers to remain loyal to the Constitution amid the political turmoil following Vice President Sara Duterte’s controversial remarks threatening President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with assassination.
Speaking at the launch of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women 2024 at Camp Aguinaldo, Brawner reminded AFP personnel to maintain professionalism and competence during these challenging times.
“In recent days, we have witnessed various events that have shaken our political environment. As soldiers, we should not be disturbed by this. We must not let this affect us negatively,” Brawner told soldiers on Monday.
He emphasized that the military should focus on their duty and not get caught up in political conflicts.
“We must remind ourselves of the vow we took when we first entered service, a vow to defend the Constitution of the Philippines,” Brawner said. “That means we follow the chain of command. We are loyal to our country, our flag, our organization, and the Constitution.”
Brawner added that loyalty should be directed toward the position of leadership, not individuals. “We are loyal to the duly constituted authorities, whoever that may be.
We are not loyal to a person, but to the position,” he explained. “We vowed to uphold the Constitution, and that’s what we must keep in mind to avoid confusion. Our mandate is very clear.”
Under the Constitution, the sitting president serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP.
Duterte’s remarks came after the House of Representatives ordered the transfer of her chief of staff, Atty. Zuleika Lopez, to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
Lopez was detained for contempt after allegedly interfering with a House panel’s investigation into the use of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
Malacañang has condemned Duterte’s statement about contracting an assassin to kill Marcos Jr. if a plot against her succeeds, calling it an “active threat.”