By Liezelle Soriano
MANILA — The Department of National Defense (DND) has affirmed that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will continue to support President Ferdinand Marcos “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., despite calls to withdraw support from the Chief Executive.
As the President, Marcos also serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP.
“The AFP remains steadfast in upholding the Constitution under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.,” stated Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro in a declaration on Tuesday (April 16, 2024).
Teodoro emphasized, “Efforts to sway them from this duty or to coerce them into supporting a partisan agenda are futile, especially when such agenda aligns with foreign interests conflicting with our national interests.”
He added that demands for the AFP to “withdraw support” would only lead to potential criminal investigations.
Earlier, Davao del Norte First District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez had urged the AFP to revoke their support for Marcos.
(el Amigo/MNM)