Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Saturday, May 2, took a swipe at “entitled” critics who defend armed rebels while soldiers sacrificed their lives on the field amid fresh rumors of a “military-backed” destabilization plot against the Marcos administration.

Teodoro slammed individuals who brand themselves as “cause-oriented” or “progressive” yet defend those taking up arms against the state.

“The noise being made by others, especially the sense of entitlement of some who claim to be cause-oriented or progressive and who defend those who take up arms against the government, is not right,” Teodoro said.

His remarks came amid mixed public reactions to the April 19 encounter between the 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) of the Philippine Army (PA) and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) remnants in Toboso, Negros Occidental, which left 19 people dead.

Two days later, student-activists at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) protested the presence of military equipment on campus during an exhibit of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), with some accusing the military of human rights violations.

Teodoro emphasized the humble backgrounds of most Filipino soldiers, saying that many of them came from the ranks of farmers, fisherfolk, and the poor, to refute allegations of military brutality against civilians.

“You know, our soldiers mostly come from the ranks of farmers, fisherfolk, and workers. Our soldiers come from poor backgrounds. That is why they would not just kill civilians. Our soldiers are not like that,” Teodoro said.

“So, when others—those who are entitled and take up arms against the government—label the military this way [human rights violators], what will happen to these people? The soldiers are only doing their jobs,” he added.

Even the commander of 79IB, Lt. Col. Eric Alfonso, who described himself as the son of peasant parents from Luzon, said the recent clashes in Toboso were “lawful combat operations” aimed at neutralizing Roger Fabillar, also known as “Ka Jhong,” a fugitive commander accused of multiple killings in northern Negros Occidental.

He said he made a personal commitment to pursue Fabillar due to his alleged attacks on farmers in Negros island. Fabillar was among the 19 neutralized in the Toboso operation.

Further, Teodoro said some sectors are exploiting the issue in Toboso to boost claims of another destabilization plot against the government, allegedly supported by the military.

Last week, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson confirmed that some retired officers are allegedly trying to seek support from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for a possible military-backed People Power Revolution.

However, the senator said the effort is unlikely to succeed “as long as our AFP is professional.”

For the defense chief, he attributed these rumors to the military’s high public standing. He explained that the AFP's credibility makes it a “lucrative target” for those seeking to undermine the government.

“Things like that keep coming up. We don’t know the source. I think the last source was Senator Lacson. He is a source that should be listened to because he knows what he speaks,” he said.

“Be that as it may, we have not identified any active-duty member of the Armed Forces involved in any destabilization plot. But of course, many want to entice the Armed Forces because its credibility is high, so it is a lucrative target for anybody who wants to destabilize the government,” he explained.

Despite the noise, Teodoro firmly rejected the idea of conducting a loyalty check within the ranks. He argued that the military had far more pressing duties than to be subjected to such a process without hard evidence.

“For me, if there is no evidence and nothing substantial, no. The Armed Forces of the Philippines already has too much work to be subjected to that,” he said.