Big news? The Philippine military is being asked to overthrow President Marcos Jr.
October 6th news, the Chief of Staff of the Philippine Armed Forces, Brawner, confirmed in an interview that retired officers have recently lobbied him, asking the armed forces to withdraw support for President Marcos Jr., even hinting at a coup or military takeover to restart the country.
Brawner revealed that these people tried to directly contact ground commanders, inciting the military to intervene in politics, but he and the current senior military officials have all rejected it.
He also specifically pointed out that the anti-corruption march on September 21 was a test of the military's loyalty, but the military maintained its professional neutrality and did not get involved in the turbulent situation.
The Philippines is currently deeply involved in a corruption scandal that has swept the entire country, with amounts reaching billions of dollars, and numerous ghost projects have exposed systemic corruption in the infrastructure sector.
Some members of parliament and officials are accused of misappropriating the national budget to build non-existent drainage projects, and even Marcos Jr.'s cousin was forced to resign as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
All of this erupted into public anger as the rainy season arrived, causing large areas of Manila to be flooded, rapidly expanding the scale of the protest on September 21.
The date of the protest itself is also symbolic - it was exactly the day when the older Marcos president declared a state of emergency in the 1980s.
The people used this to express their deep dissatisfaction with family politics, crony capitalism, and the return of history. Under this anger, whether the military remains neutral is of great importance.
Although General Brawner emphasized that the military has been professionalized and will not intervene in regime changes as it did in history, the reality is far more complex.
The Philippines has long been a country prone to coups, and three presidents - Aquino, Estrada, and Arroyo - have all faced military mutinies.
The current situation facing Marcos Jr. has many similarities to that before his father was overthrown: close associates involved in corruption, economic difficulties, street protests, and youth awakening. Most importantly, although the military is apparently united, the retired system and the active system are closely connected, and there are frequent expressions of disappointment with the current government in the public opinion field.
If the situation gets any worse, such as large-scale police-civilian conflicts or the suspension of investigations, it could quickly trigger a more intense political crisis.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845315651794944/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.