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The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) affirmed on Tuesday its support for the Constitutionally mandated government of President Rodrigo Duterte amid calls by a shadowy group, claiming to be soldiers and policemen, for his ouster.
AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla likewise questioned the authenticity of the group calling itself the Patriotic and Democratic Movement (Padem) whose members claim to represent “the men and women of the AFP and the PNP (Philippine National Police).”
Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said the entire AFP, along with all the men and women of the uniformed services and all their civilian personnel, stand by the government and support Duterte, their commander-in-chief.
"Such issues are clearly politically motivated and a matter that the AFP does not and will not subscribe to," he said.
In a statement, Padilla said “the entire AFP along with all the men and women of the uniformed services and all our civilian personnel stand by the Constitutionally mandated government and unequivocally supports the Commander in Chief.”
He described as “unfounded and uncalled for” the issues raised by the Padem in its Aug. 21 statement, which called for the ouster of Mr. Duterte for alleged betrayal of public trust.
PADEM, in a statement issued Monday, said it condemns and holds Duterte accountable for gross crimes in betrayal of the public trust and in violation of national sovereignty and the democratic rights of the Filipino people.
Among Duterte's crimes that PADEM mentioned were his alleged use of the AFP and the Philippine National Police as his own private armies, his practice of favoritism and the violation of professional and service standards in the promotion and assignment of officers.
PADEM added that the President was corrupting the PNP and the AFP with a system of monetary awards for the extrajudicial killing of alleged illegal drug users and suspected New People's Army members.
PADEM also said that Duterte was condoning and protecting top-level illegal drug lords, including his son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, and drug protectors at the level of governors and generals.
The group also alleged that Duterte incites the police to commit extrajudicial killings; allowed China to occupy the West Philippine Sea; bungled the operations in Marawi City and indiscriminately destroyed lives and property through aerial bombings, artillery and mortar fire there; as well as favors certain Chinese businessmen and Duterte relatives and cronies in the awarding of planned infrastructure projects using loans from China.
PADEM urged Filipinos to exercise their right of assembly and expression to undertake mass actions demanding the ouster of Duterte even as it called on fellow officers and members of the AFP and the PNP to join the people.
"We pledge to work for the withdrawal of military and police support for Duterte and his administration in conjunction with mass mobilization of the Filipino people in millions to manifest their demand for the resignation or ouster of Duterte and his administration," PADEM stated.
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CALL FOR THE OUSTER OF RODRIGO R. DUTERTE FOR BETRAYAL OF PUBLIC INTEREST
We, officers and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, hereby make a compact to constitute ourselves as the Patriotic and Democratic Movement (PADEM) and to condemn and hold Rodrigo R. Duterte accountable for gross crimes in betrayal of public trust and in violation of national sovereignty and democratic rights of the Filipino people.
Said crimes of Duterte and his administration are as follows: Treating the AFP and the PNP as these were his private armies and practising favoritism and violating professional and service standards in the promotion and assignment of officers;
Treating the AFP and the PNP as these were his private armies and practising favoritism and violating professional and service standards in the promotion and assignment of officers;
Corrupting the PNP and the AFP with a system of monetary awards for the extrajudicial killing of alleged illegal drug users and of NPA suspects;
Condoning and protecting top-level illegal drug lords (including Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte) and protectors (at the level of governors and generals);
Emboldening /Inciting police officers to engage in extrajudicial killings of poor suspected illegal drug users and pushers by publicly telling officers to plant evidence and by guaranteeing their pardon and promotion in case of conviction;
Aggravating corruption in government and criminality through the collusion of Duterte trustees and crime syndicates;
Allowing China to occupy maritime features in the West Philippine Sea and to violate Philipine sovereign rights upheld by decision of the Arbitral Tribunal in accordance with the UN Convention on he Law of the Sea;
Bungling the operations in Marawi City and indiscrinately destroying lives and property through aerial bombings, artillery and mortar;
Favoring certain Chinese businessmen and Duterte relatives and cronies in the award of projected infrastructure projects using loans from China;
Betraying the sovereign rights of the Filipino people by making the Philippines a debt vassal of China and offering to China the oil and gas resources under the West Philippine Sea as collateral for Chinese loans; and
Seeking to replace the partnership with the United States in matters of national security with an even more lopsided relationship with China and Russia.
We call on the Filipino people to unite with us in condemning and fighting Duterte and his administration for all the above.
We urge all Filipinos as individuals and as groups in whatever social sector, field, institution or organization to exercise their right of assembly and expression to undertake mass actions demanding the ouster of Duterte and his administration.
We call on our fellow officers and members of the AFP and the PNP to join the people in demanding the resignation or ouster of Duterte and his administration.
We pledge to work for the withdrawal of military and police support for Duterte and his administration in conjunction with mass mobilization of the Filipino people in millions to manifest their demand for the resignation or ouster of Duterte and his administration.
Upon the change of administration, we pledge to follow the principle of civilian supremacy and support a new civilian administration, in accordance with the 1987 Constitution and the rule of law.
Certified and issued by
Antonio Bonifacio
Spokesperson
A certain Antonio Bonifacio signed as spokesperson of the group.
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Source: GMA, Inquirer, BicolToday
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