Ched Rick Gatchalian

The Armed Forces of the Philippines join the civic and military parade during the celebration of the  125th anniversary of Philippine Independence at the Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park in Manila on June 12, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

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DND, AFP reaffirm neutrality; highlight commitment to Constitution

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1757682982626militar.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The Armed Forces of the Philippines join the civic and military parade during the celebration of the  125th anniversary of Philippine Independence at the Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park in Manila on June 12, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File  </div>MANILA — Amid strong public outcry against alleged corruption in flood control projects, the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines reiterated its non-partisanship and commitment to upholding the Constitution under the Marcos Jr. administration.In a joint release, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. called the supposed &quot;politically-motivated attempts&quot; to distract the military from focusing on its mandate &quot;futile&quot; and &quot;irresponsible.&quot;They did not specify the groups or the reason behind such attempts, but they mentioned there are calls for withdrawal of support of the AFP.&quot;The Department of National Defense, together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is fully committed to upholding the tenets of the Constitution and our mandate to the Filipino people. As a professional and non-partisan organization, the DND and AFP remain steadfast defenders of our nation and our democratic institutions,&quot; the statement read.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/15/afp-welcomes-p40b-for-modernization-in-proposed-2026-national-budget-1457">AFP welcomes P40B for modernization in proposed 2026 national budget</a></div>The DND and AFP also expressed support to the government&#x27;s anti-corruption campaign, saying it is a &quot;national crusade&quot; for good governance and justice.&quot;We owe it to our veterans, our heroes, and to future generations to ensure that the Philippines is firmly grounded in integrity,&quot; they said.In the past, critics have urged the Philippine military to either take sides or voice out concern in certain issues.The most recent instance was when<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/20/vp-sara-calls-out-afp-for-standing-idly-during-duterte-arrest-and-transfer-1512"> Vice President Sara Duterte called out the AFP for supposedly being &quot;silent&quot;</a> when former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in March 2025 under what she said was &quot;questionable circumstances&quot;.But like then and now, the AFP has always insisted to abide by the Chain of Command and maintain neutrality.&quot;We reject all attempts to patronize the AFP by certain groups that insinuate or suggest unconstitutional, unilateral interventions by the former. The AFP abides by the Constitution through the Chain of Command,&quot; the statement added.The DND and AFP encouraged Filipinos to trust the democratic institutions and processes, as they stressed that genuine change will only come through &quot;peaceful, lawful, and democratic means.&quot;This year alone, Brawner Jr. had repeatedly <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/9/afp-chief-says-coup-won-t-solve-philippines-problems-1918" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dismissed coup d&#x27;etat rumours</a> under his leadership. He said it won&#x27;t be able to solve the country&#x27;s problems.

Amid strong public outcry against alleged corruption in flood control projects, the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines reiterated its non-partisanship and commitment to upholding the Constitution under the Marcos Jr. administration.

Amid strong public outcry against alleged corruption in flood control projects, the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines reiterated its non-partisanship and commitment to upholding the Constitution under the Marcos Jr. administration.

DND, AFP reaffirm political neutrality; highlight commitment to Constitution

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DND, AFP reaffirm political neutrality; highlight commitment to Constitution

Ched Rick Gatchalian,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 12, 2025 09:57 PM PHT

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Defense

DND

AFP

Department of Defense

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Neutrality

Constitution

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