With public anger growing over the corruption scandal involving government flood control projects, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has issued a “disinformation alert” declaring its stand against calls by some groups for its intervention. 

“These are clear attempts to sow doubt and erode trust in your Armed Forces. The AFP is a professional and disciplined organization serving the Filipino people with honor and integrity,” the military said in an advisory issued on Friday.

The AFP dismissed a Facebook post by blogger Ado Paglinawan portraying ex-Marine Orly Guteza as an active-duty soldier supposedly authorized by AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. to serve as one of the “delivery boys” of multimillion-peso kickbacks from flood control projects to former Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Paglinawan had claimed that Romualdez was engaged in corrupt activities because of the military’s backing. The FB post included a photo of the former speaker with a number of military officers in his office, captioned “Martin Romualdez’s Chain of Command?” 

Guteza was presented on Thursday by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta as a surprise witness at the latest hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee’s inquiry into the corruption scandal. He read from a purported sworn statement that as a security consultant to Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, he delivered kickbacks to Romualdez’s residences.

Lawyer Petchie Rose Espera has denied notarizing or signing Guteza’s purported affidavit and Senate President Pro Tempore and blue ribbon chair Panfilo Lacson raised the necessity of a background check on Guteza.

‘Twisted’

In rejecting Paglinawan’s claim, the AFP said: “The individual mentioned, Mr. Orly Guteza, has been a civilian since his retirement on June 30, 2020. His private work for a legislator began four years later in 2024. The central claim is chronologically impossible and therefore fabricated.”

The photo of Romualdez with military officers “shows a routine and official courtesy call,” the AFP said. “Such professional meetings between military leadership and officials from other government branches are a standard, transparent procedure. The context of the photo has been maliciously twisted to create a false narrative.” 

The AFP called on the public “not to be swayed by disinformation but to remain discerning and uphold the truth.”

The post of Paglinawan, a former diplomat accused months earlier of amplifying pro-China narratives at a hearing in the House of Representatives, had been shared 2,500 times as of this writing.

‘Dangerous’

Earlier, the Department of National Defense (DND) and the AFP strongly denied a supposed coup plot involving the US Central Intelligence Agency, the Philippine military, and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. 

“This is an outright lie,” they said in a joint statement. “The AFP categorically states that this is dangerous disinformation—a deliberate attempt to poison the minds of our people, weaken the chain of command, and sow division between the Commander-in-Chief and the Armed Forces.” 

They called on the public to be vigilant “against disinformation and malign influence perpetrated by foreign and local entities who seek to divide rather than unite us for the good of our nation.”

“The latest lie of a destabilization/coup plot is outright preposterous and achieves nothing other than create confusion and pander to the adversarial narratives against the national government,” they said.

Ahead of the Sept. 21 protest rallies at Rizal Park, Edsa and other places nationwide, the AFP Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) issued a statement expressing support for the public demand that those involved in the corruption scandal be held accountable. It also called on the protesters “to conduct themselves within the bounds of law and public order.” 

This statement was widely shared by some quarters aligned with former president Rodrigo Duterte, which also expressed their gratitude to Solcom. 

The Solcom was prompted to issue another statement clarifying that it is “one with our President and with the Filipino people against corruption,” and warning against “groups or individuals who may exploit this corruption issue to advance divisive agenda and incite violence.”

“We condemn groups who tried to [take] our stand out of context for their own political agenda,” the Solcom said. “[We] reiterate our loyalty to the Constitution and to the chain of command.”  

The Philippines has a history of military involvement in regime change. In 1986, the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the father of the incumbent President Marcos, was ousted from power with key figures in the military and police breaking ranks and uniting with opposition political figures and people’s organizations. In 2001, Joseph Estrada stepped down from the presidency after continuing mass protests and the eventual withdrawal of support by the military. 

‘Risky’

In his column in Inquirer.net on Sept. 17, General Brawner wrote that “political groups and activist coalitions,” as well as retired military officers, have been calling on the AFP to withdraw its support from the government and the President. 

Brawner wrote: “Calls for the AFP to withdraw support may sound like a quick solution, but in truth, they place both our democracy and our future at risk. To undermine our institutions is to weaken the very system that safeguards our rights. When that system falters, it is always the Filipino people who bear the heaviest toll. History teaches us that when the military is drawn into politics, big changes follow. But those changes do not always end well.”

The DND and AFP also issued a joint statement on Sept. 13 firmly rejecting calls for military intervention in political affairs. 

“As a professional and nonpartisan organization, [we] remain steadfast defenders of our nation and our democratic institutions,” they said. “We reject all attempts to patronize the AFP by certain groups that insinuate or suggest unconstitutional, unilateral interventions by the former. The AFP abides by the Constitution through the chain of command.”