Philippine defence, military chiefs slam call to dump Marcos over flood control scandal
Teodoro and Brawner urged ‘every Filipino to place their trust in our democratic institutions’ amid the anti-corruption protests
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr and military chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jnr issued a joint statement late on Friday expressing their rejection of “all attempts to patronise the Armed Forces of the Philippines by certain groups that insinuate or suggest unconstitutional, unilateral interventions”.
They did not elaborate, but underscored that the 160,000-member military was non-partisan, professional and “abides by the constitution through the chain-of-command”.
The House of Representatives, the Senate and Marcos’ administration have been investigating alleged substandard and non-existent flood control projects in separate televised inquiries. Dozens of legislators, senators, construction companies and public works engineers were identified and accused of pocketing huge kickbacks that financed lavish lifestyles and high-stakes casino gambling.
The corruption scandal has been especially sensitive in a poverty-stricken Southeast Asian country that is prone to deadly typhoons and floodings that devastate entire towns and villages multiple times each year.
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