There have been many reaction statements and ideas about the challenge hurled by former speaker Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez to the uniformed services to withdraw their support from the Marcos administration.
Alvarez made the controversial challenge at the pro-Digong Duterte rally in Tagum City last Sunday, asking the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to remove their support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the wake of what he perceived as massive official corruption and abuse of power.
Sifting through the comments made by members of the House of Representatives, some senators and other officials who might just be courting the good graces of the president in their defense of his administration, we find the comments by National Security Adviser Eduardo Año as most relevant.
Secretary Año said "Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez severely underestimated the professionalism and integrity of both the AFP and the PNP. Both institutions are loyal to the Constitution, the rule of law, the chain of command, and the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Insinuations to the contrary are baseless and unfounded."
Any call for withdrawal of support when done by a public official, more so one that is also a high-ranking reservist officer, is not only irresponsible but also illegal and unconstitutional, said the national security adviser.
Unknown to many, Congressman Alvarez is a colonel in the Philippine Navy Reserve Force. Año said what Alvarez had said "erodes the very foundation of our democratic institutions and undermines the supremacy of civilian authority over the military. Such utterances and actions can be construed as seditious or rebellious and they have no place in our society."
He is right in calling on the Department of Justice to thoroughly review this matter and consider appropriate legal actions against Congressman Alvarez and others who have hurled the same challenge to the military.
The national security adviser said Alvarez's words and deeds are a disservice to our men and women in uniform who risk their lives daily to safeguard our nation's security, defend us from all manner of threats, and uphold the Constitution.
In a democratic society such as ours, the armed forces are neutral and apolitical, serving the interests of the nation as a whole. The AFP and PNP shall continue to remain above petty partisan, political or personal interests, Año assured.
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