The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday rejected proposals to create an extra-constitutional transition council amid the major corruption scandal facing the government.
“While some may use softer terms to mask their intent, such calls are effectively synonymous with instigating an unconstitutional takeover,” the AFP said in a statement, warning that “veiling illegal objectives behind creative language does not exempt one from criminal liability.”
Certain groups earlier called for the resignation of both President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, even as they suggested a transition council that would fill the leadership vacuum.
This is aside from the call of other groups for an outright military junta that would overthrow the duly constituted government.
The AFP underscored that it is duty-bound to uphold the 1987 constitution.
“The AFP remains focused on ensuring government processes continue without interference while fulfilling its mandate to defend the nation. We urge all sectors to exercise prudence and caution, as actions intended to destabilize the government—however phrased—carry serious legal consequences,” the statement read.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, then President of Catholics Bishops Conference of the Philippines has also rejected calls for a transition council and junta, saying this would make the country a “banana republic.”
The United People’s Initiative, a group that includes retired military officials, has called for Marcos’s resignation, making Sara Duterte president for the remainder of his term.
Such calls emerged amid congressional probes on alleged collusion of lawmakers, private contractors and government engineers and officials to embezzle billions of pesos worth of funds through overpriced or non-existent flood control projects.
