The military is studying possible actions against a retired Army general behind a video on an alleged destabilization plot against President Marcos.
This after Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. filed a complaint against retired Army Brig. Gen. Johnny Lacsamana Macanas who uploaded the video on his YouTube page “The General’s Opinion.”
The video showed photos of Acorda and Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., insinuating links between the military and police top brass to an alleged plot to convince Mr. Marcos to resign.
“We are confident that the active military personnel are professional and will follow the chain of command. We can assure the public that we are solid and united and we will continue, we will focus on our missions. Do not involve us with these alleged plots,” AFP spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said in a radio interview.
“It hurts me that there are people who will sow disinformation just to make their vlogs go viral,” Acorda said on Monday.
Macanas, in a video posted Tuesday that appeared to be a response to Acorda’s complaint, said he was “slightly alarmed” of the raps filed against him as he described his situation as a “David and Goliath” battle.
“This is a long battle,” he said. “But it is an expected risk in my work as a political vlogger,” the retired military official said.
“If the purpose of this administration in filing that case against me is to scare and silence me, they’re wrong because I will continue to express my opinion,” Macanas added.
PNP public information officer Col. Jean Fajardo said Macanas violated the law when he used the photograph of Acorda.
“If he sees that he has a right to use the name and image of a person without his expressed opinion, that is his opinion, but in the eyes of the law, there is an obvious violation of existing laws,” Fajardo said.