The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), on Tuesday, Jan. 6, reminded former Ilocos Sur governor Luis “Chavit” Singson that his allegations of corruption within the military organization should be resolved through legal channels and civilian institutions, not the military.

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said that the military has taken note of Singson’s public statements made on Jan. 5 where the latter warned that corruption has reached a level that undermines the honor of the AFP.

“[W]hile the AFP [has] consistently supported calls for good governance and anti-corruption, addressing allegations regarding civilian governance, public finance, or economic policy fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of civilian courts and oversight bodies, not the military. These must be addressed through established legal processes,” she said.

The military spokesperson stressed that the AFP remains bound by the Constitution and civilian authority.

“The AFP maintains its unwavering adherence to the 1987 Constitution, specifically Article II, Section 3, which explicitly declares: ‘Civilian authority is, at all times, supreme over the military,’” Padilla said.

She said the AFP operates strictly within the chain of command anchored on civilian supremacy, and the military performs its duties under civilian authority, which directs the armed forces in carrying out their mandate.

“It is in this specific context that the AFP fulfills its role as the ‘protector of the people and the State,’” Padilla explained.

Padilla added that discipline, professionalism, and unity ensure that the AFP’s force is used only for its constitutional mission. She said this mission is to secure the sovereignty of the State and protect the integrity of the national territory.

In a press conference at the Club Filipino in San Juan City on Monday, Singson claimed that some uniformed personnel are being used to protect political interests while ordinary Filipinos suffer from an economy weakened by corruption.

Singson criticized staggered salary increases for soldiers, saying these were meant to pacify them rather than provide real support. He also raised concerns over reports that senior officials were allegedly given cash to silence them.

He urged AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. and other military leaders to speak out as he warned that silence could be seen as consent.

He said he plans to challenge President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez to a public debate at Malacañang to confront what he called corruption harming the country.