In this file photo, Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alavarez joins members of the military in raising flags to assert Filipino ownership of Pag-asa Island on Nov. 20, 2021

MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Monday reiterated its strict adherence to the chain of command in response to call from a Davao del Norte politician for the military to withdraw support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is commander in chief.

The Department of Justice meanwhile said it is looking into whether Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez's statement is seditious.

Alvarez on Sunday urged the AFP to withdraw support from Marcos, saying this would help attain peace and stability for the country“The Department is studying the matter. We must first see the full context of the statement to see if it indeed rises to the level of Sedition,” the DOJ said.

Alvarez had earlier called for Mindanao to secede from the Republic of the Philippines, a proposal that was widely rejected by government officials on the country’s second-largest island.

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“The AFP reiterates its unwavering commitment to professionalism, loyalty to the Constitution and strict adherence to the Chain of Command,” Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, AFP spokesperson, told ABS-CBN News in a Viber message on Monday.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the president is the commander in chief of all armed forces.

In his appeal at a political rally in Tagum City, Alvarez reminded the AFP of its Constitutional duty to protect the people and the State in light of the rising tensions between Manila and Beijing in the West Philippine Sea.

He said that Marcos’ policies in the West Philippines Sea risk a war with China and justify the military turning its back on the President.

READ: Baste Duterte dismisses West Philippine Sea issue as 'propaganda'

“Pag nag-withdraw po kayo ng suporta sa kanya, wala na siyang magagawa kundi bababa sa puwesto niya,” Alvarez, House speaker in the early years of the Duterte administration, said.

(If you withdraw your support, he cannot do anything but step down from office.)
Padilla assured the public that the military remains dedicated to its mandate “of safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Philippines, regardless of any political affiliations or individuals in authority.”

She added: “Our duty is to protect the Filipino people and uphold the rule of law, ensuring that peace and development will prevail throughout the nation. We will continue to fulfill these responsibilities with integrity, impartiality and utmost dedication.”

MINDANAO LAWMAKERS: COMMENTS UNCALLED FOR, SEDITIOUS

Some of Alavarez’s fellow lawmakers from Mindanao have cautioned the former House speaker on his words, saying he is courting an ethics complaint and may even be seen to be inciting sedition.

“At face value, his anti-government statements are unbecoming of a member of the House of Representatives and may warrant an ethics case against him,” Lanao del Sur Rep. Khalid Dimaporo said, as he urged Alvarez to be “cautious with his words and clear on his intent.”

Camiguin Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo meanwhile urged the Department of Justice to look into Alvarez’s call.

“Clearly, what former Speaker Alvarez remarked during a rally in Tagum City falls within the purview of sedition,” he said.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, meanwhile, called Alvarez’s comments uncalled for and said they were “tantamount to an act of sedition or rebellion.”

Philippine law defines sedition as rising “publicly and tumultuously” to, among other acts, prevent the government or a government official from performing their duties.

Rebellion, meanwhile, is “rising publicly and taking arms” against the government.

Dimaporo, in his statement, said that it is up to the DOJ to decide on how to respond to Alvarez’s statements.

“But I don't feel he should be given importance,” he said.

“Our country has other more pressing matters for the DOJ to attend to than the grumblings of a politician.”