Brawner urges AFP to back Marcos' Bagong Pilipinas after Duterte tirade

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. on Monday called on the military to rally behind the Marcos administration's Bagong Pilipinas, saying "the AFP shall be at its vanguard."

Brawner's call came a day after Marcos led the launch of the administration's Bagong Pilipinas movement with a rally in Manila.

In Davao City on Sunday, former President Rodrigo Duterte called on the AFP and the Philippine National Police to "protect the Constitution" amid moves for Charter change. He also called Marcos "a drug addict."

Brawner said the AFP would remain competent and non-partisan to its duty of protecting Filipinos and the State against foreign and domestic threats. 

''The AFP shall continue to be united, competent, capable, and non-partisan - steadfast and committed to our mandate of protecting our People and securing our State from all threats, foreign and domestic,'' Brawner said in a statement.

''I enjoin our soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines to take to heart the message of our Commander-in-Chief and become exemplars of what it means to be a Bagong Pilipino in a Bagong Pilipinas by remaining focused on our mission, true to the tradition of bravery, duty, loyalty, and sacrifice in our noble profession of arms,'' he added. 

On Sunday, the administration's Bagong Pilipinas was formally launched. President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said it is ''a set of ideals that all us Filipinos, regardless of political creed or religion or wealth, can coalesce around.''

Brawner said the AFP ''shall remain to be a highly professional military organization, loyal to the Constitution, the chain of command, and our People.''

Duterte earlier said the military and police are the ones who could prevent the threats against the State as he also denounced the people's initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution.

"Kung nakikinig kayo, gusto niyo iwasan ang dugo, kayo lang makakapigil nito. Tigilin niyong kalokohan na 'yan or yung mga rally na ganito will multiply all over the Philippines," Duterte said.

(If you're listening and you want to avoid bloodshed, you're the only one who could stop this. Stop this stupidity or rallies like this will multiply all over the Philippines.)

"Alam ninyo kung hindi na talaga ito mapigilan, andiyan ang military at police, makinig kayo… Pag-aralan ninyo kung anong pinapakain nila sa taumbayan, at pagka nakita ninyo kung ano ang mali, you correct it. Nasa inyong kamay na 'yan," he added.

(If this cannot be stopped, the military and the police is there, listen... Look at what they are feeding our countrymen and when you see what's wrong, you correct it. It's in your hands.) —NB, GMA Integrated News