Jamaine Punzalan

Filipino and American soldiers attend the opening ceremony of the annual Philippines-U.S. joint military exercise, Balikatan, at the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, on April 21, 2025. The joint drills aim to enhance interoperability, strengthen defense ties, and promote regional peace and security through combined training operations between the two long-time allies.
Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

BALIKATAN 2025

Bianca Dava

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA (UPDATED) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday it would not sit idly amid disinformation and alleged destabilization efforts, asserting that the military remained intact, professional, and loyal to the Chain of Command and the constitution.</p><p>AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said rumors of military plots against the government were baseless and only aimed to sow unrest among Filipinos.</p><p>&quot;Meron daw pong mga plot na sinasabi nila. Klaro po—wala itong katotohanan. The AFP is intact, professional and disciplined. Disinformation lamang ito. Ang gusto natin ay hindi paghahasik ng gulo sa ating mga kababayan,&quot; Padilla told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.</p><p>&quot;There are certain factors that fall into play into this general scheme of things. We will not take this sitting down. We will look at the veracity of all the reports,&quot; she said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/25/-outrightly-preposterous-dnd-belies-coup-rumors-2055">&#x27;Outrightly preposterous&#x27;: DND belies coup rumors</a></div><p>Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, warned against disinformation campaigns and efforts to draw the military into &quot;unconstitutional&quot; acts.</p><p>Trinidad added that these acts could be exploited by foreign actors seeking to weaken the country’s security posture.</p><p>&quot;Amid all this noise, your AFP remains committed to ensure the integrity of the national territory. We do not have to look far. The question to ask is ‘Who stands to benefit if we have an unstable government?’ I think the answer is clear,&quot; the official said.</p><p>&quot;We would like to warn the public to be wary and cautious of retired officers who are calling for armed rebellion on the wrong premise that the AFP could not perform its mandate. We will not take this sitting down… We will check if there is any violation of the law. Our legal side will check that and we will see the appropriate action we can take against them,&quot; he added.</p><p>Padilla reiterated that loyalty checks within the military were unnecessary.</p><p>&quot;At this point in time, we can say that there is no need for loyalty checks. Buung-buo po ang inyong AFP. Kung anuman ang lumalabas na mga haka-haka, we strongly deny these statements,&quot; she said.  </p><p>Department of National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro also squashed rumors of a military coup to oust President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., stressing that the AFP supports the Constitution.</p><p>&quot;It remains supportive of the Constitution, naturally. And the chain of command is very important. And it is important that they do not do roles which is not theirs to play. We have already had several experiences with military interventionism and I think the country has learned, should have learned its lesson,&quot; he said.</p><p>Teodoro maintained that no one in the military is plotting against the government.</p><p>&quot;Walang nagbalak sa AFP. Maraming nagdadasal na may nagbalak sana. Pero walang nagbabalak sa AFP.  Lahat ng organisasyon may discontent. Pero kung ang mga discontent na ito ay may kinalaman sa pag-aaklas, hindi yun. Dasal ng iba yun. Pero hindi mangyayari yun,&quot; he stressed.</p><p>He acknowledged that while there are political problems, the military is not the solution. Moreover, Teodoro does not believe that opinions of retired personnel will sway the military.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>BATO: &#x27;GALIT SILA&#x27;</strong> </div><p>Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said retired uniformed personnel were angry with the current state of the country amid allegations of corruption and anomalous flood control projects. </p><p>Dela Rosa refused to say if the retired officials and personnel wanted to replace President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.</p><p>“Sila na tanungin natin. Basta alam kong galit sila sa nangyayari,” Dela Rosa said. </p><p>He recalled that these former uniformed personnel staged a rally outside Camp Aguinaldo last September 21, the same day the Trillion Peso March and Baha sa Luneta were also held. </p><p>Asked if this anger was enough to result in a threat against the government, Dela Rosa answered, “Any form of dissatisfaction, however significant it may be, if it snowballs into something bigger then it will constitute a threat. Kung hindi yan ma-address, makakaproblema tayo diyan.” </p><p>Despite this, Dela Rosa believed the government was stable.</p><p>Retired Lieutenant General Edilberto Adan, former deputy chief of staff of the AFP, distanced the Association of General and Flag Officers Inc. (AGFO) from destabilization calls, saying only a smaller group of former officers might be behind them.</p><p>Adan is a member of the Board of Directors and a former president of the AGFO.</p><p>“Yung mga retiradong sinasabi na nalihis ang pananaw that border on defying or violating the Constitution, ‘yan ay hindi sinusuportahan ng karamihan ng ating mga retirado at ng AGFO,” Adan said.</p><p>“Do they represent the majority of retired officers? Baka naman maliit na grupo lang sila na hindi naman talaga kinatakatawan ang rest of the AFP,” he continued.</p><p>Adan reminded fellow retired officers that while they could now “speak freely”, legal consequences still await those pushing for destabilization.</p><p>“As retired officers gaya ko, hindi na kami bound strictly by military law, so they can speak freely. Itong mga pananaw namin at opinion, we respect that. However, meron din tayong obligasyon bilang retired officers na tignan ang ating dating pinagsilbihan. At doon dapat ikaw ay sumunod sa constitution,” Adan noted.</p><p>“Meron tayong batas, sedition law. Inciting to sedition. May violations na kapag ginawa ay punishable under laws… Inciting unlawful gatherings. Lahat ‘yan nasa batas,” he added. -- with a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><iframe width="1100" height="619" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CTz8aDj5HNQ" title="Lubog sa Katiwalian: An ABS-CBN News Special on Philippine Flood Control Projects (Full Documentary)" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="923" height="519" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/btpX-v-3-aQ" title="Alab Sa Lansangan: The Sept 21 Protests Against Corruption in the Philippines (Full Documentary)" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday it would not sit idly amid disinformation and alleged destabilization efforts, asserting that the military remained intact, professional, and loyal to the Chain of Command and the constitution.</p>

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday it would not sit idly amid disinformation and alleged destabilization efforts, asserting that the military remained intact, professional, and loyal to the Chain of Command and the constitution.

‘We will not take this sitting down’: AFP pushes back vs disinformation, destabilization rumors

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‘We will not take this sitting down’: AFP pushes back vs disinformation, destabilization rumors

Bianca Dava,

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 30, 2025 03:40 PM PHT

|

Updated Sep 30, 2025 06:13 PM PHT

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Armed Forces of the Philippines

disinformation

coup rumors

destabilization

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