March 17, 2010 17:35:00
Julie Alipala
Philippine Daily Inquirer
JOLO, Sulu – Armed Forces Chief of Staff Delfin Bangit said Wednesday that soldiers should reject unlawful orders even if they would come from their most senior officers.
"If there are wrongful orders that are given to them, they are bound not to follow," Bangit said in a speech to a group of Marines during a visit to Camp Teodulo Bautista here.
Citing the Soldier's Oath, Bangit said soldiers should only be loyal to the country and not to anybody else.
Bangit also said that to avoid being used for political purposes, soldiers should be apolitical at all times.
"We are not politicians and therefore we should not take part in politics," he said.
In a warning tone, Bangit also told the soldiers to forget about their ethnic or social affiliations because service to the country should always comes first.
"It's not a matter of what we are, who we are or what ethnic or social group we belong to; it is a matter of following orders. We all underwent training on how to follow orders," Bangit said.
Speaking to reporters after his speech, Bangit said he just reminded soldiers to follow what was lawful.
"This is just to emphasize what's in my assumption speech –nothing more, nothing less," he said.
Jailed senatorial candidate Colonel Ariel Querubin told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone that he believed Bangit's sincerity and his neutrality as far the elections were concerned.
He said Bangit has never been linked to the election controversies in which other generals had been embroiled in.
"We should give him a chance to prove that he can lead the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] in ensuring an honest, orderly and credible election," Querubin said.
But Fatmawatti Salapuddin of the Bangsamoro Women Organization said he doubted Bangit's statements on being apolitical.
She said his visit to the provinces had something to do with the upcoming elections.
"Well, I fear for the upcoming elections," Salapuddin said.
Akbayan Representative Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel, who is also running for senator, said: "It's not a question of urging troops to make the elections peaceful. It's about General Bangit himself leading by example by depoliticizing the military."
Bangit said he did not care about other people’s skepticism.
He said that in the end, it would be the people who would judge him for his actions.
http://politics.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&article=20100317-259241
