MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy on Tuesday said Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, who is also a Marine reservist, should explain his recent statement urging the military to overthrow President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The Navy added that it had already directed the 9th Marine Brigade to conduct an investigation and ask Alvarez to explain his statements. The former House speaker is under the rank of colonel in the Philippine Marine Corps.
“The result of the investigation will be the basis of the Navy’s actions moving forward,” it said in a statement.
The Navy also took exception to Alvarez’s call, echoing the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) support for Marcos.
“In support of the AFP, we reiterate our unwavering loyalty and commitment to the Constitution, the Chain of Command, and to the President of the Republic of the Philippines as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” it said.
“Rest assured that the Sailors and Marines will continue to fulfill our responsibility with integrity, impartiality, utmost dedication, and will follow legal orders from the chain of command,” they added.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. dismissed Alvarez’s call.
READ: DND: Calls to withdraw support from Marcos are ‘futile,’ prosecution likely
Alvarez on Sunday enjoined the AFP to “peacefully” withdraw their support to Marcos to avert a possible war over the West Philippine Sea issue, which he said would bring “countless dead bodies, unimaginable destruction, famine, and hunger.”
The resupply activity of BRP Sierra Madre grounded in Ayungin Shoal and the humanitarian activities in Scarborough Shoal have become the flashpoint of tensions between Manila and Beijing.
Beijing asserts sovereignty in the entire South China Sea, including most of the West Philippine Sea, even if such a claim has been effectively invalidated by a July 2016 international tribunal ruling that stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013.