MANILA - The Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Sunday denied allegations that there are some active and retired generals who have withdrawn support for President Rodrigo Duterte.

"We denounce the irresponsible propaganda being propagated in
online posts alleging that a group of retired and active military officers are withdrawing their support for the President," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement.

"This is fake news!" he said.

"Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief General Cirilito Sobejana dismisses the alleged existence of a Viber group with claimed membership from among senior and junior officers both active and retired. And if in the future they will actually create such a group, he disavows the presence or association of officers and enlisted personnel to a group of such mindset," the AFP said in a separate statement.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines belies claims of an “imminent” withdrawal of support to President Duterte following his seeming inaction the face of China’s incursion in the West Philippine Sea. AFP also dispels rumors of foreign warplanes landing in PH soil @ABSCBNNews pic.twitter.com/QyvYWLxste

— Chiara Zambrano (@chiarazambrano) April 18, 2021

Lorenzana and Sobejana asked those spreading the "malicious statements" to stop their activities amid the crisis the country is facing.

"We call on these destabilizers to cease from propagating malicious statements especially at a time when our people should all be coming together in the face of the challenges that we are all currently facing. You are not helping our country and people at all," Lorenzana said.

"The nation is already saddled with numerous challenges that the AFP must face than be distracted by people, groups, and associations advancing their own agenda," Sobejana also said.

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