Caught in the web of politics, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Delfin Bangit on Monday stood for the military institution as he appealed to the public to treat the armed forces well – with dignity and honor – and to stop using them as a political instrument.

Bangit, who admitted disappointment over new attempts to politicize the AFP, also emphasized he is “a soldier of the Republic and not anybody’s soldier” prepared to turn over to the incoming Commander-in-Chief a “very professional armed forces.”

Bangit made the statement at a press conference in Camp Aguinaldo where he broke his silence three days after the Commission on Appointments (CA) bypassed his promotion and that of 301 other senior military officers.

According to the AFP Chief, he was “too ashamed” thinking that probably because he is one of them, the other officers who needed confirmation of their ranks were denied that privilege. “After all that they have done in fighting for a credible election and after they have proven that they are professional, very professional officers, is that what they will get?” said Bangit.

“The past few days have been unfortunatefor the armed forces. After warding off attempts to politicize the armed forces during the elections and after our success of being non-partisan, we’ve been seeing new attempts of destroying the armed forces, the organization that we have worked so hard to professionalize. I therefore cannot hide my disappointment,” he stated.

Saying that he would not waste his remaining time in the armed forces, “no matter how long and no matter short that can be,” Bangit vowed to fight any side that drags the military organization into politics.

“AFP’s professionalism is already at the level that we can all be proud of and therefore, I ask the members of the armed forces, the officers here who were together with me in the bypassing of the CA, to defend the armed forces and fight for our institution,” said the AFP chief.

“We are not above the law. We are not above our civilian leaders but the honors of the soldiers, our honor as soldiers rest on how far we can sacrifice in defending our country. I always tell our soldiers, to be able to do that, we must be a very professional soldier,” he added.

Bangit, at the same time, appealed once more for the AFP to be spared from politics, saying there is so much the military organization can do if they are not dragged into politics.