THE Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday threw its full support behind President Rodrigo Duterte after a group claiming to represent state forces called for the President's ouster.
"The entire AFP along with all the men and women of the uniformed services and all our civilian personnel stand by the constitutionally mandated government and unequivocally supports the commander-in-chief," said AFP spokesperson Restituto Padilla.
Padilla denied the allegations made by the group Patriotic and Democratic Movement (Padem), who claims to represent soldiers and policemen, regarding the alleged violations of the President.
"The AFP categorically denies the recent statement issued by a group that pretends to be representative of the men and women of the AFP and the PNP and called themselves the Patriotic and Democratic Movement," said Padilla added.
In a statement, Padem condemned and held Duterte accountable for gross crimes in betrayal of public trust and in violation of national sovereignty and democratic rights of the Filipino people.
It accused Duterte of micro-managing the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP) and utilizing it as his private armies who commit extrajudicial killings particularly of those allegedly involved in the illegal drugs trade.
Padem said Duterte is also practicing favoritism among the PNP and AFP officers and corrupting the two agencies with a system of monetary awards and promotions after every successful operation in line with the administration's war on drugs and fight against New People's Army (NPA) rebels.
It said despite the infamous war on drugs, Duterte is protecting top-level drug personalities including his son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, as well as illegal drug trade protectors at the level of politicians and AFP and PNP generals.
Duterte, said the group, is also allowing the China to occupy maritime features in the West Philippine Sea and to violate Philippine sovereign rights upheld by the decision of the Arbitral Tribunal in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas.
The group accused the President of bungling operations in the embattled Marawi City, which continue to destroy lives and property through aerial bombings, artillery, and mortar.
"We call on the Filipino people to unite with us in condemning and fighting Duterte and his administration for all the above. We call on our fellow officers and members of the AFP and the PNP to join the people in demanding the resignation or ouster of Duterte and his administration,” Padem spokesperson Antonio Bonifacio said.
"We pledge to work for the withdrawal of military and police support for Duterte and his administration in conjunction with mass mobilization of the Filipino people in millions to manifest their demand for the resignation or ouster of Duterte and his administration," he added.
However, Padilla said Padem's accusations against Duterte were unfounded and uncalled for.
"Such issues are clearly politically motivated and a matter that the AFP does not and will not subscribe to," he said.
Padilla said the issues that the group wishes to take advantage of are now being addressed by the justice department and parties to a possible crime are already behind bars. (SunStar Philippines)