AFP dedma sa panawagan na bawiin ang suporta kay PBBM

DEDMA lang ang Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sa panawagan na bawiin ang suporta mula kay Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Para kay Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., wala itong saysay at maaari lamang mauwi sa posibleng “criminal investigation.”

“The AFP is standing steadfast in upholding the Constitution under the leadership of the Commander in Chief President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Calls for them to withdraw support will not amount to anything but to a possible criminal investigation,” ayon sa Kalihim sa isang kalatas.

“Any attempt to sway them away from this duty or to patronize them to support a partisan agenda is futile, particularly when this agenda dovetails with a foreign interest contrary to our own national interests,” dagdag na wika nito.

Hindi naman nagbanggit ng pangalan si Teodoro subalit napaulat na nanawagan si Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez sa Armed Forces na mapayapang bawiin ang suporta mula kay Pangulong Marcos.

Si Alvarez, dating House Speaker ay nagpahayag na ang joint patrol policy ng administrasyong Marcos sa kaalyado nito sa West Philippine Sea sa gitna ng patuloy na agresyon ng Tsina ay nagpapa-apoy lamang ng armed conflict, kung hindi man giyera, maglalagay sa buhay ng mga Filipino sa panganib.

Ang panawagan ni Alvarez ay idinaan nito sa rally kasama si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte sa Tagum City, Davao del Norte, araw ng Linggo.

Ipinag-utos naman ni Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla na imbestigahan ang pahayag ni Alvarez, sabay sabing ang naging komento ni Alvarez ay umabot na sa “the level of sedition or even rebellion.”

Nakasaad kasi sa Revised Penal Code na ang krimen na inciting to sedition ay committed ng “any person who, without taking any direct part in the crime of sedition, incite others to the accomplishment of any of the acts which constitute sedition, by means of speeches, proclamations, writings, emblems, cartoons, banners, or other representations tending to the same end, or upon any person or persons who shall utter seditious words or speeches, write, publish, or circulate scurrilous libels against the government, or any of the duly constituted authorities thereof.”

Ang batas na bumubuo sa sedition ay kinabibilangan din ng “those which tend to disturb or obstruct any lawful officer in executing the functions of his office, or which tend to instigate others to cabal and meet together for unlawful purposes, or which suggest or incite rebellious conspiracies or riots, or which lead or tend to stir up the people against the lawful authorities or to disturb the peace of the community, the safety and order of the Government, or who shall knowingly conceal such evil practices.”

Pinalagan naman ni Alvarez ang sinabi ni Remulla sabay sabing walang krimen sa kanyang naging pahayag.

“Paano naging seditious o disorderly conduct ‘yung sinabi ko eh peaceful nga at orderly. Meron dissatisfaction sa AFP,” ayon kay Alvarez.

Aniya, sa ilalim ng Saligang Batas, ang AFP “is the protector of the people and the State.”

“Kung sasabihin man ‘outside of legal’ yung ‘means,’ bakit bawal ba mag-resign ang mga sundalo bilang withdrawal of support kung hindi na sila naniniwala sa direksyon ng liderato? Karapatan din nila ‘yan, constitutionally protected rights ‘yan,” giit ni Alvarez.

Sa ilalim ng Konstitusyon, layunin ng Armed Forces ay I-secure ang soberanya ng estado at integridad ng national territory. (Daris Jose)