PH Army Relieves Colonel Who Allegedly Withdrew Support for Marcos

 

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Army (PA) on Friday relieved a colonel from his post after a message allegedly attributed to him withdrawing support for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. circulated on social media earlier in the day.

The screenshot of the message, purportedly from Col. Audie Mongao, stated:

“Sobra na, tama na (Enough is enough)! The Filipino people [are] worth fighting for.”

It remains unclear when and where the message was originally made.

Army Response and Investigation

In an official statement, Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said that, “By the direction of the Commanding General, Col. Mongao was immediately relieved from his post and put into [attached/unassigned] status to give way for a thorough investigation by Training Command.”

In a separate social media post, Army Training Command chief Maj. Gen. Michael Logico confirmed that Mongao was commander of the Training Support Group under his supervision and was on New Year’s break status at the time.

“My Command has exerted all efforts to reach out to him but has so far been unsuccessful,” Logico said.
“We are still reaching out to Col. Mongao so that we may extend to him emotional support. He is still my responsibility.”

Logico added that the unit is currently investigating the situation to determine any possible administrative or criminal charges related to the alleged withdrawal of support.

“The Philippine Army remains professional and steadfast behind our mandate, loyal to the Constitution and the chain of command,” he said.

Support from Retired Military Group

Meanwhile, the United People’s Initiative (UPI), a group of retired military officials, expressed support for Mongao’s apparent statement. In a statement, the group said:

“These are not words of hate. They are the cry of a patriot who has given his life to the Republic.”

UPI convenor and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Romeo Poquiz was recently arrested on charges of inciting to sedition in connection with his online statements, highlighting ongoing tensions involving military retirees and political issues.