AFP to bets: Not in our camps

AFP spokesperson Restituto Padilla. FILE

CANDIDATES wanting to woo the votes of the country’s uniformed personnel will have to do it outside military camps. Soldiers will also not be allowed to wear a candidate’s campaign cap or baller ID inside the camp.

As the campaign period began Tuesday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines reiterated its policy to keep the military apolitical this season—even in individual soldiers’ accessories and social media accounts.

“No one will be allowed to campaign inside military camps because of our apolitical stance. They can only campaign outside,” said Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, AFP spokesperson.

While the country’s 120,000 soldiers can of course vote for their candidate, this matter must remain the private choice of each soldier.

“Soldiers cannot announce who their candidate is, it’s a personal choice come election time,” he said.

Padilla said this means a solider cannot don campaign items such as caps, baller IDs, shirts and jackets, or display car stickers that endorse a particular candidate.