The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) urged the public to stop spreading unconfirmed information on the alleged mass resignations of soldiers over the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the military is a professional, unified and non-partisan institution and should not be dragged into the issue relating to the arrest and transfer of Duterte’s custody to the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague in The Netherlands.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) clarifies that reports of AFP personnel resigning in support of former President Duterte remain unverified. We urge everyone to exercise critical discernment and avoid spreading unconfirmed information,” said Padilla.
“Our personnel continue to remain focused on our sworn duty, upholding the rule of law and the chain of command,” she added.
Padilla was reacting to the social media posts of alleged resignations of soldiers in support of Duterte.
The same posts are also circulating on the part of alleged policemen who allegedly resigned from the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Padilla urged the public to be wary of misinformation drive that is intended to divide the country.
“We call on all Filipinos to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law. Let us prioritize unity and allow the legal processes to unfold. We have full confidence on our institutions to handle this matter with due diligence,” said Padilla.
On the part of the Philippine Air Force, its spokesperson Col. Ma Consuelo Castillo said they have not monitored any of its personnel quitting over the arrest of Duterte.
“We have not monitored any unrest nor noted any personnel resignations, and our airmen remain alert and ready to perform their duty to maintain peace and security,” said Castillo.
“The PAF Command ensures that our personnel continue to embody professionalism and loyalty to our flag and people, while maintaining absolute political neutrality,” she added. (Aaron Recuenco)
