No need for red alert, AFP chief says
ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. on Thursday said there was no need to put troops on red alert, despite the intense political bickering between the administration and the Duterte family, whose patriarch had called for the military to intervene to "correct" the country's "fractured governance." "In our opinion, we do not need to raise the red alert just because of... politics. In fact, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had left for the United Arab Emirates, so this is an indicator that things are normal. We are still in control," Brawner said. He said the AFP's mandate is to make sure that the country is stable and prospers economically without any obstacles. "As members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, our job is to make sure that our country is stable for our democratic way of life to continue," Brawner said. He spoke at the AFP Leadership Summit in Camp Aguinaldo where he extolled the professionalism and competence first and master sergeants. The event served as a platform for sharing insights, best practices, and innovative approaches to address the dynamic challenges faced by the military. "Leadership is the foundation of our organization. It is through our leadership that we inspire our men and women to serve with integrity, professionalism, and excellence. This summit underscores our commitment to fostering a culture of accountability and unity in the AFP," he said. He also reiterated the need for the military to remain nonpartisan and for its personnel to continue to focus on the accomplishment of their mission. Addressing former president Rodrigo Duterte's call, Brawner said the AFP has no authority to intervene in purely political issues. "We are soldiers, and not politicians," he said. Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it is ready to face possible charges to be filed by Vice President Sara Duterte over last weekend's confrontation with police officers who secured the transfer of her chief of staff from a hospital. "That is always the right of anybody to file a case against the police, especially if they feel that they were aggrieved. We welcome that and we will wait for the case to be filed before we make a statement and make the appropriate answer, wherever forum they make this case to," Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III told reporters in a press briefing held at Camp Crame, Quezon City. Duterte said she is considering filing charges for disobedience, kidnapping and robbery against the PNP. This came after the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) filed on Wednesday charges for direct assault, disobedience to authority and grave coercion, all punishable under the Revised Penal Code, against Duterte, Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) chief Col. Raymond Dante Lachica, and two John Does before the City Prosecutors Office. Video footage obtained by the PNP showed Duterte and Lachica pushing Lt. Col. Jason Villamor, chief of the QCPD's medical and dental unit, who was then assigned to accompany the vice president's chief of staff Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez during her transfer to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center from the St. Luke's Medical Center on Nov. 23. Torre said they also looked into filing other cases but decided to defer to the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation considering that many of these contain "intricate questions of law." "We asked from the AFP for the names of their personnel who were on duty at that time and I have already received it and we will direct it to a supplemental affidavit so that they can also be impleaded in the case," Torre added in English and Filipino. PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Joan Fajardo said they have sufficient evidence against the vice president and her security chief over last weekend's confrontation with police officers. "We have enough video evidence," Fajardo told the government-owned PTV 4. She said the video will speak for itself. Also on Thursday, Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon said he was not expecting the Supreme Court to act on his call to disbar the vice president for the same reasons they disbarred him, and said he would move to impeach the entire tribunal led by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, if they did nothing. "I do not expect the Supreme Court to act on my complaint, it is highly political and biased," he told The Manila Times via Viber. The Malacañang official went to the Supreme Court on Wednesday and submitted a letter-complaint seeking to disbar Duterte for spewing expletives against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the first lady, and Speaker Martin Romualdez. Even worse, he said, the vice president issued a threat against them as she "categorically and unequivocally stated that she has talked to someone whom she directed to kill the three of them if she herself is killed."
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. on Thursday said there was no need to put troops on red alert, despite the intense political bickering between the administration and the Duterte family, whose patriarch had called for the military to intervene to "correct" the country's "fractured governance."
"In our opinion, we do not need to raise the red alert just because of... politics. In fact, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had left for the United Arab Emirates, so this is an indicator that things are normal. We are still in control," Brawner said.
He said the AFP's mandate is to make sure that the country is stable and prospers economically without any obstacles.
"As members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, our job is to make sure that our country is stable for our democratic way of life to continue," Brawner said.
He spoke at the AFP Leadership Summit in Camp Aguinaldo where he extolled the professionalism and competence first and master sergeants.
The event served as a platform for sharing insights, best practices, and innovative approaches to address the dynamic challenges faced by the military.
"Leadership is the foundation of our organization. It is through our leadership that we inspire our men and women to serve with integrity, professionalism, and excellence. This summit underscores our commitment to fostering a culture of accountability and unity in the AFP," he said.
He also reiterated the need for the military to remain nonpartisan and for its personnel to continue to focus on the accomplishment of their mission.
Addressing former president Rodrigo Duterte's call, Brawner said the AFP has no authority to intervene in purely political issues.
"We are soldiers, and not politicians," he said.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it is ready to face possible charges to be filed by Vice President Sara Duterte over last weekend's confrontation with police officers who secured the transfer of her chief of staff from a hospital.
"That is always the right of anybody to file a case against the police, especially if they feel that they were aggrieved. We welcome that and we will wait for the case to be filed before we make a statement and make the appropriate answer, wherever forum they make this case to," Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III told reporters in a press briefing held at Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Duterte said she is considering filing charges for disobedience, kidnapping and robbery against the PNP.
This came after the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) filed on Wednesday charges for direct assault, disobedience to authority and grave coercion, all punishable under the Revised Penal Code, against Duterte, Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) chief Col. Raymond Dante Lachica, and two John Does before the City Prosecutors Office.
Video footage obtained by the PNP showed Duterte and Lachica pushing Lt. Col. Jason Villamor, chief of the QCPD's medical and dental unit, who was then assigned to accompany the vice president's chief of staff Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez during her transfer to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center from the St. Luke's Medical Center on Nov. 23.
Torre said they also looked into filing other cases but decided to defer to the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation considering that many of these contain "intricate questions of law."
"We asked from the AFP for the names of their personnel who were on duty at that time and I have already received it and we will direct it to a supplemental affidavit so that they can also be impleaded in the case," Torre added in English and Filipino.
PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Joan Fajardo said they have sufficient evidence against the vice president and her security chief over last weekend's confrontation with police officers.
"We have enough video evidence," Fajardo told the government-owned PTV 4. She said the video will speak for itself.
Also on Thursday, Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon said he was not expecting the Supreme Court to act on his call to disbar the vice president for the same reasons they disbarred him, and said he would move to impeach the entire tribunal led by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, if they did nothing.
"I do not expect the Supreme Court to act on my complaint, it is highly political and biased," he told The Manila Times via Viber.
The Malacañang official went to the Supreme Court on Wednesday and submitted a letter-complaint seeking to disbar Duterte for spewing expletives against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the first lady, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Even worse, he said, the vice president issued a threat against them as she "categorically and unequivocally stated that she has talked to someone whom she directed to kill the three of them if she herself is killed."
