Philippine ex-air force general arrested on sedition charge over alleged calls to oust President Marcos

MANILA, PHILIPPINES: A retired Philippine air force general accused of encouraging the military to abandon President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was arrested on a charge of inciting to sedition on 5 January 2026 at Manila’s international airport.

Retired Air Force General Romeo Poquiz was taken into custody at Ninoy Aquino International Airport shortly after arriving from a family trip to Thailand, according to the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

CIDG officials said Poquiz arrived at the airport at around 8:11 a.m. and was arrested on the strength of a warrant issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 77.

CIDG National Capital Region chief Col. John Guiagui told reporters that the arrest was carried out in coordination with airport authorities and followed standard operating procedures.

Poquiz was subsequently brought to the CIDG–National Capital Region headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City at around 9:50 a.m., according to police officials.

Guiagui said the retired general underwent routine booking procedures, including fingerprinting, the taking of mugshots, and a medical examination, before being prepared for presentation before the court.

The Quezon City court set Poquiz’s bail at P48,000, Guiagui said, without elaborating on further hearing dates.

Poquiz is the convenor of the United People’s Initiative, a group of retired military officers that has publicly called on President Marcos to step down amid a high-profile corruption scandal.

The group has accused the administration of failing to address alleged large-scale fraud involving flood-control projects, which critics say cost taxpayers billions of pesos.

Poquiz’s arrest drew sharp criticism from his legal counsels, Ferdinand Topacio and Virgilio Garcia, who accused police officers of initially preventing them from conferring with their client.

“We were insistent. We wanted to talk to our client. They wouldn’t let us through,” Garcia said in Filipino during an interview at Camp Crame.

Garcia said the lawyers wanted to ensure Poquiz’s safety and to clarify where he would be taken following his arrest.

“We were practically chasing after them,” Garcia added, describing what he said was confusion during the transfer process.

Garcia said their legal team was preparing to file administrative and criminal complaints against the arresting officers over the alleged denial of access.

Topacio also criticised the government, accusing the executive branch of using the justice system to target political opponents.

“We blame the executive branch for weaponising the Department of Justice to persecute and attack those whom they view as enemies of the government,” Topacio said in Filipino.

“Instead of jailing the corrupt, he jailed those going after the corrupt,” he added.

Police officials rejected the accusations, saying the lawyers arrived after the arrest had already been carried out.

Guiagui said Poquiz’s counsels were unable to immediately meet their client because they had not yet secured clearance to pass through airport security.

In a separate briefing, Acting Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the arrest complied with legal requirements and respected due process.

Asked whether the arrest signalled a broader crackdown on dissent among retired uniformed personnel, Nartatez denied any political motive.

“It’s not personal,” he said in Filipino, adding that police were simply enforcing the law based on a court-issued warrant.

Poquiz, 67, confirmed his arrest in a post on Facebook shortly after being taken into custody.

“I was arrested by the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group at the airport terminal,” Poquiz wrote. “Long live the Filipino!”

He added that he was being taken to Camp Crame for processing.

The arrest comes against the backdrop of mounting political tensions following corruption allegations linked to flood-control projects.

The controversy intensified ahead of planned anti-corruption protests on 21 September, which were organised by civil society groups and former military officers critical of the administration.

In October, Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner said the armed forces had rejected overtures from retired officers who sought to rally active personnel against the government.

Brawner said the military’s leadership had assured President Marcos that the armed forces remained “solid” in their support of the constitution.

He also alleged that some retired officers had reached out to younger personnel to propose a “coup d’etat” or the formation of a military junta, though he did not identify those involved.

President Marcos, who highlighted corruption as a major issue in a national address in July 2025, has seen both allies and opponents implicated in the scandal.

Some political rivals have suggested that Marcos himself benefited from the alleged fraud, a claim his administration has not publicly addressed in detail.

Speaking at the signing of a new national budget on Monday, Marcos made no mention of Poquiz’s arrest.