President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administers the oath-taking of newly promoted generals and flag officers at the Malacañang Palace on Monday, May 13, 2024. KJ Rosales, PPA pool

MANILA (UPDATED) — An official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) denied Wednesday any grumbling within the organization following the collapse of the alliance between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte. 

Duterte has received a subpoena to explain her supposed death threat against Marcos. Meanwhile, the Palace has chastised her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte for calling on the military to “correct” the Marcos administration. 

Asked if there were grumblings in the military due to recent political events, AFP Deputy Chief of Staff Lt.Gen. Jimmy Larida said, "Hundred percent none."  

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"You have to be loyal to the Constitution. Correct?” Sen. Jinggoy Estrada asked Lariida during a hearing of the Commission on Appointments’ Committee on National Defense on the ad interim appointment of 22 generals, flag officers and a senior officer of the AFP.

“Yes, Sir,” Larida answered.

The military on Tuesday said there was no need for a loyalty check in its ranks, adding that it remained loyal to the constitution and to the chain of command. 

"We are facing greater challenges that require the strength of a unified country and armed forces. As a cornerstone of national stability, the AFP shall remain non-partisan with utmost respect to democratic institutions and civilian authority," AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said. 

"There is no need for a loyalty check. As the chief of staff said, he trusts that each soldier will perform his mandate and remain professional. Ang aming loyalty is to the Flag and to the Constitution, and we adhere to the Chain of Command," she added.

DOJ: DUTERTE'S REMARKS 'OUT OF ORDER'

The Department of Justice has disputed Duterte’s characterization of government as “fractured” and has warned that the former leader’s remarks are “seditious and legally actionable.”

In a statement, the DOJ quoted Justice Undersecretary Jesse Hermogenes Andres as saying “instigating the military to take action as a supposed ‘remedy’ is totally uncalled for and out of order” as he warned Duterte against trying to provoke the armed forces.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, meanwhile, said “the DOJ will never back down against insurgency or any form of lawlessness and will forever remain committed to protecting not only the Chief Executive but the entire Filipino nation as well." — With a report from Victoria Tulad, ABS-CBN News