The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) does not want to entertain any calls that would make the organization partisan, a military spokesperson said on Tuesday, Jan. 30.

This, as former president Rodrigo Duterte urged the AFP over the weekend to "discredit the Congress" amid a push for a charter change via people's initiative.

"The call of the Chief of Staff [General Romeo Brawner Jr.] is for each soldier to not really delve on these things but be non-partisan and professional," AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said.

Padilla was reacting to a question during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on whether or not Duterte's call for the AFP to discredit Congress is tantamount to a sedition case.

Sedition refers to the conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state.

On Sunday, Jan. 28, Duterte spoke at a prayer rally in Davao City to criticise efforts seeking to amend the 1987 Constitution through people's initiative. He claimed such efforts were marred by signature-buying.

"Alam niyo kung magkandaleche-leche ang buhay na ito, sabihin ko sa military na siraan ang Congress (You know, if all hell breaks loose, I will tell the military to discredit the Congress)," Duterte had said.

The former president also egged on the military to protect the Constitution and arrest all individuals who are spending people's money to buy signatures just to sign pro-Charter Change manifestos as this is supposedly a fraudulent act.

But Padilla reiterated that the military is aware of its mandate to protect the Supreme Law of the Land.

"We take it as a reminded of our sworn duty but we remain and we continue to be serving the Constitution," the military spokesperson said.

Coincidentally, the AFP revived its Counter-Intelligence Group (CIG), a unit that is focused on preventing spying, sabotage, and intelligence gathering, two weeks ago amid rumors that retired military generals were recruiting active personnel to oust President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. from power.

The AFP-CIG was created in 1989 to counter numerous coup attempts against the administration of then president Corazon Aquino.

"Their mandate is counter-sabotage and counter-espionage so whatever it is that is being necessary to performing their mission, they will be performing such," Padilla said.

Despite the issues, Padilla said that the AFP remains united and there is no monitored division among the ranks.

"According to our Chief of Staff, there is not even a need for a loyalty check," she noted.