An old video of Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), expressing gratitude to then House Speaker Martin Romualdez resurfaced online, to allege a “compromised” military. This needs context.
On Nov. 17, the video was recirculated by two Facebook netizens and one TikTok user. One of the videos bore the following caption:
“Sabi ni Tambaloslos [Romualdez] 150 to 350 And allowance ng men in uniform daily. Kaya pala ‘di matinag Ang pundasyon.
(Romualdez said men in uniform receive a [subsistence allowance of] P150 to P350 daily. So that’s why the foundation is so unshakeable).”
The two-minute video showed Brawner thanking Romualdez after the passing of a reform which increased the subsistence allowance of soldiers, with the publishers of the video indirectly stating that the military has been “bought” due to this.
It was strongly denounced by the AFP in a Nov. 17 post on their official Facebook page.
“Turning this [subsistence allowance increase for AFP personnel] into a political narrative of control reveals not just malice, but a profound lack of respect for the uniform, the service, and the sacrifices represented by every stripes and insignia,” the AFP said.
The AFP explained that the subsistence allowance increase for soldiers began as an initiative of President Ferdinand Marcos and moved through the appropriate legislative channels before it was approved.
“There was no political bargaining, no exchange of favors and no compromise of constitutional integrity,” it said.
The AFP also added that expressing gratitude to lawmakers for pushing reforms that benefit soldiers does not mean that it is beholden to political personalities. “The AFP’s mandate is – and always will be – anchored solely on the Constitution and the Filipino people,” it stated.
The subsistence allowance increase came from the Personnel Services appropriation of concerned agencies under the AFP. This increase was specifically included as one of the provisions for the welfare of uniformed personnel pushed by lawmakers before the 2025 General Appropriations Act was passed. Romualdez praised the long-pending increase earlier this year, leading to Brawner expressing his gratitude as shown in the video needing context.
The video that lacked context reemerged amid the P100 billion budget insertion and flood control infrastructure scandals plaguing the Marcos administration. The AFP reiterated its non-partisanship amid calls to withdraw support for the president.
Two FB users published the video, garnering over 2,700 reactions, 960 comments, 2,100 shares and 64,000 views. It was then reposted by TikTok user nikzetortoluberz.
