EDITORIAL - On the side of the public

In the approaching general elections, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines must stay on the side of the public, President Aquino said on AFP Day. This means avoiding involvement in partisan political activities, according to the commander-in-chief.

It’s a good advice, but not that simple to implement. The President can lead by example by ensuring that no political party, including his own, will use AFP resources, including aircraft and land transportation vehicles, for partisan purposes.

Staying out of politics can be complicated in an organization where political patrons often influence the appointment and promotion system. A bill seeking to depoliticize the system has not moved in Congress, whose members are among those who want a say in appointments and promotions in the AFP, police, the justice system and in many other agencies of government.

In the countryside, AFP members may find themselves wittingly or unwittingly serving as members of politicians’ private armies. AFP members, who are deputized to guard the ballot during elections, have also been used in poll fraud and harassment of incumbent officials’ political rivals.

Such activities are what President Aquino wants to stop in the 2016 general elections.

His admonition to the troops must be matched by action. The President will find himself closely watched in his activities supporting candidates of his own party, starting with the person he will endorse as his successor.

There are existing rules prohibiting military and police personnel from engaging in partisan political activities, with corresponding penalties. Working with the Commission on Elections, the AFP and PNP must strictly enforce those rules. They are tasked to secure all candidates and their supporters, regardless of party affiliation. They must do a better job of minimizing election violence. Staying away from political activities, complicated as it is in this country, is not impossible and will go a long way in ensuring honest and orderly elections.