MANILA, Philippines —The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday utterly dismissed claims that a majority of generals were in conflict with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and were preparing to file complaints against him as a “joke.”
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesman for the West Philippine Sea clarified that there is practically no basis for the claim.
“On the legal side, I would like to defer to the Department of National Defense (DND) for the merits of the case,” Trinidad said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
As to whether there is indeed a friction between the defense chief and some senior military officials, Trinidad again rejected the allegation.
“No such (tension) exists. Laugh at it. It’s a good joke,” he said.
The remarks were made after a lawyer filed complaints against Teodoro, accusing him of perjury and falsification in connection with his reported ownership of a Maltese passport.
The lawyer later claimed that a majority of AFP generals were considering filing similar cases amid alleged growing tensions between the defense chief and the military.
Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, AFP spokesman, echoed yet again that the military would not be drawn into what she described as unverified accusations.
“We will not dignify baseless and unverified allegations that seek to drag our institution into matters that are driven by personal motives,” Padilla said.
She added that “the intent is malicious and also the timing is very dubious.”
Padilla reiterated that the AFP stands by Teodoro as the defense secretary and that “we will not dignify these claims.”
She also reiterated that there is “no need for a loyalty check” assuring that every member of the military remains professional in carrying out their duties.
