NSC urges legal action vs Alvarez for alleged 'seditious' remarks

MANILA, Philippines — The National Security Council (NSC) called on the Department of Justice to consider legal action against Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao del Norte) after the ally of former leader Rodrigo Duterte told the military and the police to withdraw its support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 

The NSC, an agency under the Office of the President, said Alvarez’s call over the weekend could be interpreted as “seditious or rebellious.”

“Any call for withdrawal of support when done by a public official, more so one that is also a high-ranking reservist, is not only irresponsible but also illegal and unconstitutional,” National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said in a statement on Wednesday.

Alvarez is a Philippine Marine Corps reservist with a rank of colonel.

“It erodes the very foundation of our democratic institutions and undermines the supremacy of civilian authority over the military,” Año added. 

Justice Secretary Jose Crispin Remulla on Tuesday ordered an investigation into the remarks of Alvarez to determine if they constitute sedition, incitement to sedition, or even rebellion. 

Under the Revised Penal Code, sedition is committed by individuals “who rise publicly and tumultuously in order to attain by force, intimidation, or by other means outside of legal methods.” 

Incitement to sedition occurs when a person incites others to accomplish any of the acts that constitute sedition, either by speech, proclamation, emblem, or banner. It also involves uttering seditious words against the government or its officials. 

Rebellion, on the other hand, is committed by “rising publicly and taking arms against the government for the  purpose of removing allegiance to said government or its laws.”

“His words and deeds are a disservice to our men and women in uniform who risk their lives daily to safeguard our nation’s security, defend us from all manner of threats, and uphold the Constitution,” Año said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police rejected Alvarez’s call. — Gaea Katreena Cabico