SHARING

Lifted from Rob Rances

21 September 2025 12.01am

[Reposting]

AN OPEN LETTER TO GENERAL ROMEO BRAWNER 

General Romeo Brawner

Chief-of-Staff

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Dear General Brawner, sir, 

We write to you not only as wives of the enlisted men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but also as mothers, daughters, and ordinary Filipinos who love this nation. With every sunrise, we carry both the pride of being families of soldiers who dedicate their lives to protecting our people, and the heavy pain of seeing the country we love fall deeper into despair.

General, it is no secret that corruption continues to eat away at the very soul of our nation. It spreads like a disease—massive, blatant, and shameless. And what pierces our hearts most is not just the injustice itself, but the silence of those who wear the uniform—the very men whom the people expect to be their last line of defense. Your silence, Sir, has been deafening.

When Filipinos feel abandoned by politicians, they look to the soldiers. But today, it seems our people stand defenseless. Every day, as military wives, we face civilians who ask us: “Why do your husbands remain silent while the nation suffers?” Some mock us, saying it is all because of a meager ₱350 increase in pay. Do you know how painful that is, General? To hear the honor of our husbands reduced to a joke—not because of their service, but because of the perception that their leaders are unwilling to speak and to act.

We ask you, Sir—what do you want the children of your men to inherit? A country where corruption is tolerated? A nation where patriotism is forgotten because those in power failed to lead by example? How can we explain to our sons and daughters what sacrifice means when those at the top choose comfort over courage?

We do not forget, General, that our husbands swore an oath to serve the people. Not politicians. Not the wealthy few. But the people—the farmers who cannot afford food, the workers who cannot live on their wages, the families who live in fear of injustice and oppression. We know there is a chain of command, and we understand discipline and obedience more than most. But leadership is more than following orders—it is also knowing when to stand firm, when to raise your voice, and when to remind those above you of the true mission of the Armed Forces: to defend the Filipino people.

It breaks our hearts, General, to know that while you and your family live in security, so many military families suffer in silence. Soldiers fight, bleed, and die in the field. Meanwhile, their children sleep hungry, their wives stretch every peso to keep a roof over their heads. And on top of this struggle, we carry the anger of civilians who ask us why the soldiers remain quiet while corruption flourishes. The silence of leadership has become a heavy burden for us to bear.

General Brawner, we beg you—do not let the Armed Forces be remembered as an institution that stood idly by while our nation fell apart. History is watching. Your soldiers are watching. The Filipino people are watching. Show them that you care not just for your position, not just for the privileges of office, but for the very men and women under your command, and for the millions of Filipinos whose hopes rest on the courage of the military.

We need a leader, General. A leader who will not bend to political convenience. A leader who will remind this nation that integrity, honor, and patriotism are not dead. A leader who will prove that the Armed Forces still belongs to the people, and not to the corrupt few who treat the Philippines as their playground.

We ask you, from the bottom of our hearts, to stand as that leader. Speak for us. Speak for your men. Speak for the future of our children. Because if not you, then who? If not now, then when?

Respectfully,

The Wives, Children, and Families of the Enlisted Men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

And the Filipino People Who Still Believe in Freedom