Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines– President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday defended the Marine general who vented his anger on the misuse of government funds on Facebook post , saying that while he saw nothing wrong with it, he should be reminded that an active officer of the Armed Forces should be neutral.
“Wala akong nakikitang masama sa sinabi ni [Brigadier] General (Alexander) Balutan, pero dapat lang paalalahanan na heneral sya at all the time neutral, (I see nothing wrong with what Gen. Balutan said, but he should be reminded that he is an officer and should remain neutral),” Aquino said at a press conference at Sofitel Plaza in Pasay City which was aired on television.
“Kasama akong nadidismaya at naghahanap ng hustisya dito [pero] di ka pwede nagsasalita ng ganun at madaming gagamit sa sinabi para mag create ng negative consequences (We share his dismay and his search for justice here, but you should not talk like that or else other people could use your statements to create negative consequences),” Aquino added.
Balutan of the 1st Marine Brigade in Sultan Kudarat, turned to social media to express his sentiments on the pork barrel, saying that the funds misused should have been instead allotted for addressing problems of armed conflict.
The Facebook post garnered hundreds of likes and shares but was later taken down. Balutan, who claimed that his post was exclusive consumption of his Facebook friends, said he deleted the post for it not to be exploited by groups with vested interest.
He told INQUIRER.net that he stood by the President and he was loyal to the chain of command.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines, meanwhile, declined to comment on the pork barrel controversy even with Balutan’s statements against the misuse of government funds.
“We’re supposed to stay away from partisan politics and that includes the issue on the pork barrel and we’d rather not speak of that issue,” AFP chief General Emmanuel Bautista said in a press conference organized by the Manila Overseas Press Club.
“Please spare us from partisan politics, we would like to be always professional Armed Forces,” he said.
AFP spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala said Wednesday that military troops should be careful in posting their sentiments on social media.
He also said earlier that the Marine general would not be sanctioned as it was not his intention to say those things in public.
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