Dissent Has Its Proper Forum
When an active-duty officer like Audie A. Mongao publicly withdraws personal support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the concern is not freedom of expression. It is the position being taken.
“In a democracy, dissent is a right of citizens, not a privilege of armed officers,” Chairman Emeritus Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia said. “The moment a soldier speaks politically in public, institutional neutrality is placed at risk.”
This distinction is not theoretical. It exists to prevent individual judgment from overriding the discipline necessary to maintain the republic’s stability.
Context sharpens the issue. On January 9, Colonel Mongao publicly withdrew his personal support for the President. The timing was difficult to dismiss. Just two days earlier, on January 7, a mass oath-taking for newly promoted generals was held, and Mongao’s name was absent. The sequence invites an unavoidable question: was this an act of principle, or a final protest after being passed over?
Authority Flows From the Constitution
The authority of the President as Commander in Chief does not hinge on personal approval from officers, regardless of rank or tenure. It flows from the Constitution and from the sovereign mandate of the Filipino people.
“Moral authority is not something one announces,” Goitia noted. “It is vested by law, sustained by institutions, and judged over time.”
Recasting personal dissatisfaction as a moral verdict against civilian leadership weakens the very constitutional order the military is sworn to protect.
The Institution Responds
Military leadership has acted with clarity and restraint. Michael G. Logico, Commander of Training Command, confirmed that Colonel Mongao has been temporarily removed from his post and is now under investigation for possible administrative and legal accountability related to his online statement.
At the same time, the command has made clear that efforts continue to reach out to the officer and extend emotional support.
“Strength in the Armed Forces comes from firm rules enforced without theatrics,” Goitia said. “Accountability and compassion are equally required of leadership.”
This balance reflects an institution enforcing discipline without abandoning humanity.
Professionalism Must Be Preserved
Under the current administration, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has remained professional, apolitical, and constitutionally anchored. There has been no politicization of command and no deviation from democratic norms.
“These are facts,” Goitia said. “They do not support claims of moral collapse.”
When officers act as political commentators, the credibility of the institution itself is placed at risk.
Patriotism Is Restraint
History, particularly our own, has already answered this question. Republics weaken when discipline yields to personal grandstanding within the ranks.
“The uniform is not a platform,” Goitia said. “It is a responsibility.”
Criticism of governance belongs in the civilian space. Military restraint is not silence. It is a service.
Order Protects Democracy
This episode calls for perspective, not provocation. The Philippines remains strongest when institutions operate within their constitutional limits.
“Our democracy endures,” Goitia concluded, “not through defiance, but through discipline.”
Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia, Juris Doctor, PhD, is Chairman Emeritus of Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (PADER), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI), and the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement (FDNY). He holds advanced degrees, including an MNSA, MPA, and MBA, among others.
