Philippine defense and military leaders on Friday rejected calls for the armed forces to withdraw support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., saying attempts to draw the military into political action are irresponsible amid a widening corruption probe into flood control projects.
In a joint statement, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said they rejected "all attempts to patronize the Armed Forces of the Philippines by certain groups that insinuate or suggest unconstitutional, unilateral interventions." They said the 160,000-member military is nonpartisan, professional and "abides by the constitution through the chain-of-command," and urged Filipinos to trust democratic institutions and respect due process.
The statement followed public protests and online outrage after televised inquiries by the House of Representatives, the Senate and the presidency uncovered allegations that dozens of lawmakers, construction firms and public works engineers were tied to substandard or non-existent flood control projects. Lawmakers and officials have been accused of taking large kickbacks, which investigators say in some cases underwrote lavish lifestyles and high-stakes gambling.
The scandal has heightened sensitivities in the typhoon-prone Southeast Asian nation, where floods repeatedly devastate towns and villages and where billions of pesos have been spent in recent years on mitigation projects. The government estimates it has spent about 545 billion pesos, roughly $9.6 billion, on thousands of flood mitigation projects over the past three years; officials are reviewing which projects are substandard or nonexistent.
President Marcos has described anomalies found during his own inspections in flood-prone provinces, including Bulacan north of Manila, as "horrible." He has formed an independent commission to investigate the allegations, withheld funding for some flood control work scheduled for next year and accepted the resignation of the public works secretary.
Street rallies have been smaller and largely peaceful compared with some recent protests elsewhere in the region, and much of the public dissent has been voiced online and by civic leaders, including Catholic clergy, business executives and retired generals. At one recent rally, a speaker urged the military to withdraw its loyalty to the president and called for a nonviolent "people power" revolt reminiscent of army-backed uprisings that ousted Marcos's late father in 1986 and former president Joseph Estrada in 2001.
Two senior national security and defense officials told The Associated Press that there was no currently monitored threat of secessionism within the military or police forces. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they lacked authority to discuss security matters publicly. A confidential government security assessment seen by The Associated Press concluded that politically opposed groups were joining public outrage but that a mass "people power" uprising was unlikely without the backing of key groups led by the military. The assessment said, "Drastic movements in the military and other uniformed service are very unlikely due to strong loyalty and patriotism ... to constitution, the flag, and the president."
Teodoro and Brawner said the armed forces were focused on national security and regional stability and warned against politically motivated distractions from their mission. "At this critical juncture for our national security in the face of threats to our peace and regional stability, politically motivated attempts to distract the Armed Forces of the Philippines from focusing on its mission are not only futile but also irresponsible," they said. "The strength of our republic rests on the rule of law and the unity of our people. At this crucial time, we call on every Filipino to place their trust in our democratic institutions, to respect our processes."
Investigations by congressional committees and other government bodies are continuing, and officials have signaled that further administrative and possibly criminal probes could follow as the independent commission completes its work. The administration's actions — including the suspension of funding and the resignation of a senior official — reflect an effort to contain fallout while allowing institutional inquiries to proceed.
For now, the military's leadership has sought to draw a clear line between civic protest and constitutional order, saying it will remain bound to the chain of command and the rule of law as the country confronts both allegations of large-scale corruption and the practical challenges of mitigating recurring flood disasters.