AFP dismisses claims of military resignations after Duterte arrest

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he attends a senate probe on the drug war during his administration, in Manila on October 28, 2024. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — Reports claiming that some Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel resigned in support of former President Rodrigo Duterte were “unverified,” according to its spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla.

Duterte was arrested on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity committed during his administration’s bloody drug war. He is now in ICC custody in The Hague, Netherlands.

“The AFP clarifies that reports of AFP personnel resigning in support of former President Duterte remain unverified. We urge everyone to exercise critical discernment and avoid spreading unconfirmed information,” Padilla said in an interview with reporters on Thursday.

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“The AFP remains a professional, unified, and non-partisan institution, committed to its constitutional mandate of defending the nation and serving the Filipino people. Our personnel continues to remain focused on our sworn duty, upholding the rule of law and the chain of command,” she added.

Philippine Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said they have not received any report that soldiers are resigning.

“If these reports are from social media then we will not believe it. But currently, we have not received reports of actual soldiers of the Philippine Army resigning,” he said.

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Dema-ala said the Army remains in high morale and remains a professional organization focused on its mandate.

“We are facing other problems here in Philippine Army so we are focused on our mandate,” he stressed, adding that there is no need for loyalty check.

Similarly, Philippine Air Force (PAF) Col. Maria Consuelo Castillo said they have not monitored any “unrest nor noted any personnel resignations.”

“[O]ur airmen remain alert and ready to perform their duty to maintain peace and security.  We are still in a period of mourning from the loss of our comrades but it only serves to inspire us to do our jobs even better,  amidst the challenges that we currently face,” she disclosed.

“The PAF Command ensures that our personnel continue to embody professionalism and loyalty to our flag and people while maintaining absolute political neutrality,” Castillo added.