MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) strongly denied claims made on social media that it is being politicized.
Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, made this announcement Tuesday after some groups on social media claimed that the military is being politicized by President Rodrigo Duterte’s orders to arrest Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV shortly after the voiding of his amnesty.
“Social media is social media. Hindi natin kilala ‘yung (We are uncertain of its) authenticity, mga taong nasa likod nyan (those who are behind that). Any person can use ‘socmed’ (social media), any person can assume to be an organization with leanings sa AFP but that does not necessarily follow that they are from the AFP,” he added.
Arevalo stressed that the AFP is only complying with its legal mandate.
“Even then, ang sinusunod natin dito ay ang legal na mandato (we are following the legal mandate). Meron namang (There is an) official document to that effect and we are just following orders. Your AFP is a professional organization, we are a mature organization, so ang gagawin natin is always what is the mandate given to us in the Constitution and we can assure you (that),” the AFP spokesperson said.
Based on President Rodrigo Duterte’s Proclamation No. 572, which was signed last Aug. 31, Trillanes has no pending application for amnesty granted to all active and former personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and supporters who joined the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the February 2006 Marines stand-off and the Nov. 29, 2007 Manila Peninsula incident.
This, in effect, voided the amnesty extended to him by former president Benigno S. Aquino III through Proclamation 75 issued in November 2010. (Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
