The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday reaffirmed its non-partisan mandate, stressing its primary duty to safeguard peace and security in the country.
In an interview, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla told Manila Standard that the military is ready to support the Philippine National Police (PNP), which serves as the lead agency in maintaining peace and order.
“Matters such as corruption fall under the jurisdiction of designated government agencies,” Padilla added, emphasizing that the AFP’s concern is to ensure national unity and uphold the rule of law for the benefit of all.
The remark came amid attempts by certain groups to persuade AFP personnel to withdraw support from the government.
Last week, all units of the AFP were placed on red alert ahead of anticipated demonstrations to be staged by multiple organizations in protest of massive corruption in the government’s flood control program.
However, Padilla was quick to clarify that the declaration was not brought on by any particular threat to the government’s stability.
“This is simply a precautionary measure on our part. This is part of our standard security protocols. We want to emphasize that there is no cause for concern,” Padilla said in Filipino.
