(UPDATE) CIVIL society organizations have called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to maintain discipline after an active-duty officer publicly withdrew his support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., warning that such actions risk undermining the military’s apolitical stance and institutional neutrality. The call comes amid the case of Col. Audie Mongao, who on Jan. 9 announced online that he was withdrawing his personal support for the president. The statement followed a Jan. 7 mass oath-taking for newly promoted generals, where Mongao’s name was notably absent — raising doubts on whether the withdrawal of support was a principled stance or a reaction for being skipped over. AFP officials confirmed that Mongao has been temporarily relieved from his post and is under investigation for possible administrative and legal accountability in connection with his statement. Michael Logico, commander of the AFP Training Command, said the military is also extending outreach and emotional support to Mongao during the inquiry. Jose Antonio Goitia, representing groups including Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms, Liga Independencia Pilipinas and the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement, said the issue is not freedom of expression but the responsibility of military personnel to remain politically neutral. “In a democracy, dissent is a right of citizens, not a privilege of armed officers,” Goitia said. “The moment a soldier speaks politically in public, institutional neutrality is placed at risk.” He emphasized that this distinction exists to prevent individual judgment from overriding the discipline necessary to maintain the stability of the republic. Goitia noted that authority in the AFP flows from the Constitution and the sovereign mandate of the Filipino people, never from personal approval of individual officers. “Moral authority is not something one announces,” he said. “It is vested by law, sustained by institutions and judged over time.” Recasting personal dissatisfaction as a moral verdict against civilian leadership could weaken the constitutional order the military is sworn to protect, he added. He described the AFP’s handling of the situation as a reflection of professionalism, noting that discipline has been enforced without theatrics while still extending care to the officer. “Strength in the Armed Forces comes from firm rules enforced without theatrics. Accountability and compassion are equally required of leadership,” Goitia said. According to Goitia, the AFP under the current administration has remained professional, apolitical and constitutionally anchored, with no politicization of command or deviation from democratic norms. “These are facts. They do not support claims of moral collapse,” he said. Goitia emphasized that criticism of governance belongs in civilian spaces, not in the ranks. “The uniform is not a platform. It is a responsibility,” he said. History, he said, shows that republics weaken when discipline yields to personal grandstanding within the military. “This episode calls for perspective, not provocation. Our democracy endures, not through defiance, but through discipline,” Goitia added.