Retired generals reject calls for military intervention amid destab attempts
A group of retired generals, including former national police chiefs and military chiefs of staff, rejected the call of some of their colleagues for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to withdraw support from the Marcos administration.
In a statement, the Association of Generals and Flag Officers stressed that acts of destabilization, including attempts by some retired generals to encourage those in the active service to launch coup d’etat is a glaring violation of the Constitution.
For the AGFO, the Constitution states that armed forces shall be insulated from partisan politics and that no member of the military shall engage, directly or indirectly, in any partisan political activity, except to vote.
“We strongly condemn and reject any call for the AFP to engage in unconstitutional acts or military adventurism,” AGFO said in a statement signed by its officers and a number of retired police, military, Bureau of Fire and Protection and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology generals,
“We express our absolute vote of confidence in the AFP leadership. We commend their steadfast refusal to be swayed by partisan interests and their firm resolve to keep the AFP united, professional, and loyal to the Constitution,” it added.
The AFP, for its part, has expressed appreciation to the retired generals for supporting its stand to remain apolitical by rejecting encouragement to topple the Marcos administration.
“This expression of confidence from leaders who dedicated the prime of their lives to service, deeply affirms the shared commitment of both active and retired officers to uphold the Constitution, respect civilian authority, and preserve the professionalism of the military institution,” said AFP chief information officer Col. Xerxes Trinidad.
“We welcome this message as a powerful reminder that unity within the ranks, past and present, remains one of the AFP’s greatest strengths. The unified voice of our retired and active leaders reaffirms that the AFP remains a pillar of stability and a steadfast guardian of democracy,” he added.