MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Army immediately relieved a training official from his post after publicly declaring that he was withdrawing support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a move that marked the first known case of an active-duty Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officer doing so amid the administration’s flood control corruption controversy.
Army Training Command chief Maj. Gen. Michael Logico later said the officer, Col. Audie A. Mongao, voluntarily submitted himself following the circulation of his statement on social media.
Alleged withdrawal of support
In the statement, widely shared on Friday, Mongao said he was withdrawing his “personal support” for the President, citing what he described as Marcos’ loss of moral authority to govern and to lead the military.
“As a Filipino, I am respectfully withdrawing my personal support for Mr. Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. He has lost his moral ascendancy to lead the Armed Forces as Commander in Chief and to govern the Filipino people as President of the Republic,” Mongao said.
“Sobra na, tama na! (It’s too much—enough!). The Filipino people are worth fighting for… Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!” he added.
Mongao clarified that his statement did not amount to disloyalty to the military institution, saying he remains supportive of the AFP and the State “as mandated by the Constitution.”
A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1992, Mongao said he has been in active service for 34 years. It was not immediately clear where or when the statement was issued.
Malacañang said the case would be handled with due process.
“The President is listening and observing,” Palace Press Officer Claire Casto said in a Viber message to reporters. “Whoever needs to be held accountable, it is evidence that would be used.”
She said due process will prevail in Mongao’s case.
The Philippine Army confirmed the relief of Mongao from his post. Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete ordered Mongao’s removal and placed him under “attached/unassigned” status pending investigation.
“By the direction of the Commanding General, Col. Mongao was immediately relieved from post to give way for a thorough investigation by the Training Command,” Dema-ala said.
Removed as army commander of training support group
Earlier on Friday, Logico announced on Facebook the Army has removed Mongao as commander of the Training Support Group “effective last night” and transferred to his office.
In a later post, Logico said Mongao voluntarily submitted himself and that they had a lengthy discussion, though he did not disclose details.
Logico said the Army is looking into possible administrative and legal charges in connection with Mongao’s statement.
“The Philippine Army remains professional and steadfast in its mandate, loyal to the Constitution and the chain of command,” he said.
The Army Training Command, headquartered at Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac, oversees the service’s training programs, doctrine development, research, and marksmanship initiatives.
Meanwhile, the United People’s Initiative (UPI), a group of retired military officers, expressed support for Mongao and his decision to withdraw backing for the President.
“These are not words of hate. They are the cry of a patriot who has given his life to the Republic,” the group said in a statement.
UPI had earlier called on Marcos to step down over alleged irregularities in infrastructure and flood control projects involving multibillion-peso kickbacks to lawmakers and government officials.
Among those who shared Mongao’s statement was UPI convenor and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Romeo Poquiz, a vocal critic of the Marcos administration. Poquiz was recently arrested on charges of inciting to sedition linked to his public statements against the President.
Currently out on bail, he described Mongao as “a soldier of conscience willing to sacrifice everything for the love of his country.”
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