MANILA, Philippines — It’s by voting for the right leaders that the people can help solve the country’s problems and not by inviting the military to take over and do the job, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said on Thursday, as he denounced calls for a coup d’état against the Marcos administration.
At a joint briefing with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) at Camp Crame, Brawner said calls for the military to step in to supposedly correct societal and political issues are wrong and would definitely not solve anything.
He said Filipinos should trust the democratic process and vote wisely in the May elections.
“Our country has so many problems and sometimes all the people can think about is military coup or a military junta as the solution. It’s not the solution,” Brawner said.
He emphasized that the elections offer an opportunity for citizens to voice their concerns through their votes for leaders who will work to uplift their lives.
“Our call to the people is to use this election as a platform to express our desires by voting for the right individuals who will serve the country and our society,” he said.
Brawner declared that the military is fully committed to maintaining free, secure and peaceful elections, “working together with all relevant agencies to ensure that the voice of the Filipino people is heard and respected.”
Meanwhile, AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad clarified that the military’s background checks on candidates for this year’s midterm polls were meant to help the Comelec ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
“The AFP would like to clarify that its intensification of intelligence gathering is geared towards helping the Comelec ensure the integrity of the electoral process and safeguard national security,” he explained.
“This initiative is conducted in coordination with the Comelec and PNP, and focuses on identifying potential security threats arising from foreign interference and malign influence. Any findings will be confidentially relayed to the Comelec for appropriate action,” he said.
“The AFP’s role is strictly non-partisan. Our efforts are anchored on impartiality and respect for the democratic process,” Trinidad noted.