AFP official: No destabilization plot vs Marcos administration

MANILA, Philippines — There is no destabilization plot against the Marcos administration, a high-ranking army official said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Commission on Appointments’ deliberation on the ad interim appointment of 15 generals and officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Lieutenant General Ferdinand Barandon maintained that AFP members are “professionals and mission-oriented.”

“As for the AFP, there is nothing to worry about. Again, I would like to emphasize, as mentioned by our chief of staff, we’ll be mission-focused and we will abide by duly constituted authority. As [for] the retired officers, I think I’m not in the position to talk about what they are thinking or what they would want to do,” Barandon said.

This was his answer after he was asked by Batangas 5th District Rep. Marvey Mariño whether or not there are active plots to destabilize the government among AFP members following the filing of an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

“So being the head of the intelligence part of the AFP, you’re confident that there’s nothing going on as far as talks of destabilization and all that?” Mariño asked.

Barandon answered in the affirmative.

“I would like to re-echo the statement that the chief of staff, as well as senior commanders of the AFP, are constantly talking to members of the AFP on matters pertaining to our mission and also our constitutional duty to defend the constitution as well as the people,” he said.

Mariño then asked whether the current political situation in the Philippines, following the rift between Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., would be taken advantage of by foreign countries.

Barandon said monitoring possible foreign malign operations is part of the AFP’s intelligence gathering, and he would be willing to discuss more “specifics of the activity” only in an executive session.