MANILA (UPDATE 2) — The security sector moved quickly on Saturday to douse talk of a destablization plot prompted by comments by Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. — armed forces chief of staff — on Friday that he said were taken out of context.

Brawner had urged troops at a change of command ceremony in Zamboanga City on Friday to ignore potential invitations from retired military officials to join a plot against the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

He told reporters on Saturday that he had only reminded soldiers not to participate in movements and rallies.

He added he talked about destabilization "efforts" and not an actual plot.

"In his message to the troops...he merely mentioned the reported efforts by certain individuals to upset the peace and stability that the country is enjoying right now," Col. Medel Aguilar, AFP spokesperson, said in a statement on Saturday morning.

Brawner did not disclose any names.

He also declined to give details on his warning of "infiltration that is happening in the country, including Zamboanga City and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao."

No destabilization plot

In a separate statement, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año — a former AFP chief himself — said there may have been criticism from among retired officers but that these have been "within the bounds of our democratic space."

Año said there may have been "healthy and passionate exchanges (and) debates" among active and retired officers, "and even criticisms against [a] few policies of the current administration."

He stressed that there is no plot against the government.

"The security sector shall remain vigilant and ready to take immediate actions against any sinister group that will undermine our national security," he also said.

Police Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., head of the Philippine National Police, said there is no basis to say a plot exists.

He said that the uniformed services may have had issues with government attempts to tinker with their pensions, but that these have been resolved.

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"So, I don't see any reason for any destabilization," he said.

Allegations of destabilization attempts were common during the previous Duterte administration but there has been little talk of plots against Marcos Jr.

Marcos Jr., who ran on a platform of unity, had majority approval of 65% in a Pulse Asia survey in September, although down from 80% in June.

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The Marcos Jr. administration has had to contend with the rising prices of food and fuel, as well as increased Chinese activity in the West Philippine Sea.

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Commenting on the approval ratings in October, De La Salle University political science professor Anthony Lawrence Borja said a decrease in approval "is unavoidable if the problems persist."

Borja told ABS-CBN News on Saturday that Brawner's mention of the supposed destabilization efforts could be "a way to depoliticize the armed forces, that is, to keep it away from contentious politics."

He added that if a plot actually exists, it "raises the question about the civilian elements behind such supposed overtures to a coup."

"History shows that it is rare for a coup to be purely a military affair," he said.

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In a follow-up statement on Saturday, Año said top officials' "trust rating remains high indicating that the people are satisfied on the performance of the government." — with a report by Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News