Brawner to military staff: Resign if you want to express political stand

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. in an interview with reporters at Camp Aguinaldo. INQUIRER.net / John Eric Mendoza

MANILA, Philippines — Active military personnel should just resign if they want to express partisan political opinions, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said on Wednesday.

Brawner reiterated that the AFP service members should only remain loyal to the Constitution.

“We recognize that all of us have political opinions, political inclinations, pero habang suot suot po natin ang ating uniporme, ay kailangan sundin natin ang Saligang Batas at protektahan natin ang bansa (but while we are wearing our uniform, we must follow the Constitution and protect the country),” Brawner said in his speech at AFP Leadership Summit held at Camp Aguinaldo.

“We cannot just air our grievances just freely, being members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Kung gusto po natin gawin ‘yon, eh mag-resign na lang tayo. Hubarin na lang natin ang uniporme natin (If we want to do that, better to just resign. We should take off our uniform),” he added.

Brawner also expressed confidence that military personnel will not resort to “adventurism.”

“That is why we will not take the law into our own hands,” he said. “We will remain professional.”

The AFP chief made such remarks after former President Rodrigo Duterte enjoined the military to “correct” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his ally and cousin House Speaker Martin Romualdez due to “fractured governance.”

DOJ: Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘fractured governance’ remark bordering sedition

The Department of Justice said Duterte’s remarks are bordering on sedition, while the Office of the Executive Secretary treated this as a blatant call for the military to launch a coup.

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In response to the former president’s call to intervene, Brawner: “That is not our job. Our job is to protect the Republic of the Philippines, protect its people, defend our territory, and defend our sovereignty and our sovereign rights.”

READ: Brawner: It’s not true that I will take over VP Duterte’s security group

The former president made such statements following her daughter Vice President Sara Duterte’s remarks on Friday that she had already talked to a person whom she supposedly instructed to kill Marcos, his wife First Lady Liza, and cousin Romualdez if she is killed.