No Demoralization Among W. Visayas Police, Army

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 and the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3rd ID) dismissed claims of demoralization within their ranks following the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Colonel Erwin Rommel Lamzon, chief of the 3rd Division Public Affairs Office (DPAO), said there have been no reports of soldiers planning to resign or leave the service because of Duterte’s arrest.

“Wala gid ko may nabal-an or nabati-an nga gusto mag-resign kay gin-aresto si Pres. Duterte,” he said. (“I have not heard of anyone wanting to resign because President Duterte was arrested.”)

Lamzon, who also serves as the 3rd ID Inspector General, said he has been visiting their areas of operation—Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and the Negros Island Region—and has witnessed the soldiers’ dedication to ending insurgency.

He emphasized that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) remains neutral on Duterte’s arrest and is focused on its mission.

“Ang guidance sa amin is to be prepared for contingencies about the possible after-effects of what happened, in coordination with the PNP,” he said. (“Our guidance is to prepare for any contingencies regarding the possible effects of what happened, in coordination with the PNP.”)

Lamzon assured the public that claims of low morale within the military are unfounded.

“But for those who are inimical to the stability that we are providing currently to the security environment, these spoilers nga naga-pa-gwa nga may issue, baka they have other reasons,” he said. (“For those who seek to disrupt the stability we are ensuring, those spreading these issues may have other motives.”)

Social Media Posts Dismissed

Lamzon also dismissed social media posts showing uniformed personnel claiming they were “signing off” or were no longer proud to wear their uniforms.

He suggested that some individuals may have resigned for unrelated reasons.

“Baka iba naman ang reason kung bakit nag-resign—like may kinakaharap na kaso or they have pursued another field—and others just misconstrued it to have links to what happened to President Duterte,” he said. (“Perhaps they resigned for other reasons, like facing a case or shifting careers, but others misinterpreted it as being linked to Duterte’s arrest.”)

Upon verification, Lamzon said several individuals who posted anti-government sentiments and claimed to be in service had already resigned.

One is working abroad, while another appears to have used someone else’s photo in uniform to share misleading content.

“Some maybe isolated cases nga gina-takod nila dayon nga low morale na ang isa ka institution,” he said. (“Some isolated cases are being exaggerated to make it seem like an entire institution has low morale.”)

PNP Also Denies Demoralization

Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis, spokesperson for PRO-6, echoed Lamzon’s statement, saying there are no reports of any police officers in Western Visayas wanting to resign over Duterte’s arrest.

“Sa PRO-6, mataas ang morale ng mga pulis natin,” he said. (“In PRO-6, our police officers have high morale.”)

Solis added that PRO-6 personnel understand that their loyalty lies with the flag and the Constitution.