Col. Audie Mongao
Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.
— America’s first president, Gen. George Washington
WHEN an active-duty officer like Colonel Audie A. Mongao publicly withdraws personal support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the concern is not freedom of expression—it is the position being taken.
According to civic leader Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia, chairman emeritus of the Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (PADER), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI) and the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement (FDNY), this distinction is not theoretical but exists to prevent individual judgment from overriding the discipline necessary to maintain the republic’s stability.
“In a democracy, dissent is a right of citizens, not a privilege of armed officers. The moment a soldier speaks politically in public, institutional neutrality is placed at risk,” Goitia pointed out.
“Context sharpens the issue,” he added while noting that on January 9, Colonel Mongao publicly withdrew his personal support for the President and the timing was difficult to dismiss as just two days earlier, a mass oath-taking for newly promoted generals was held and Mongao’s name was absent.
“The sequence invites an unavoidable question—was this an act of principle or a final protest after being passed over?” he queried.
Stressing that authority flows From the Constitution, Goitia underscored that the authority of the President as commander-in-chief does not hinge on personal approval from officers, regardless of rank or tenure, but flows from the Constitution and from the sovereign mandate of the Filipino people.
“Moral authority is not something one announces. It is vested by law, sustained by institutions, and judged over time,” he enthused.
Moreover, the civic leader cited that recasting personal dissatisfaction as a moral verdict against civilian leadership weakens the very constitutional order the military is sworn to protect.
Yet to this, the military leadership has acted with clarity and restraint. Col. Michael G. Logico, commander of the AFP Joint and Combined Training Center, confirmed that Col. Mongao has been temporarily relieved from his post and is now under investigation for possible administrative and legal accountability related to his online statement. At the same time, the command has made clear that efforts continue to reach out to the officer and extend emotional support.
To this, Goitia reacted: “Strength in the Armed Forces comes from firm rules enforced without theatrics. Accountability and compassion are equally required of leadership.”
This balance reflects an institution enforcing discipline without abandoning humanity. Further, professionalism in the military must be preserved.
“Under the current administration, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has remained professional, apolitical, and constitutionally anchored. There has been no politicization of command and no deviation from democratic norms,” he stated as fact.
In ending, the civic leader described the situation: “These are facts. They do not support claims of moral collapse.”
Finally, he warned that when officers act as political commentators, the credibility of the institution itself is placed at risk.
“Patriotism Is restraint. History, particularly our own, has already answered this question. Republics weaken when discipline yields to personal grandstanding within the ranks. The uniform is not a platform. It is a responsibility. Criticism of governance belongs in the civilian space. Military restraint is not silence. It is a service. Our democracy endures not through defiance, but through discipline,” Goitia concluded.
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