AFP reminds personnel to be cautious when using social media

May 7, 2020

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reminded its military and civilian personnel as well as their dependents to practice proper behavior when using social media.

Capt. Jonathan Zata, AFP spokesman, said the directive was communicated to the different commanders of the major services and unified commands with an official message from the Office of the AFP Chief of Staff through the Public Affairs Office published Wednesday.

"All AFP military, civilian human resource, to include dependents, are directed to practice caution in publicizing personal opinion especially when engaging in social media activities," the directive stated.

Zata said the AFP called for "proper etiquette and a high standard of conduct and behavior in any and all online interaction or activity."

He said posting or sharing any online materials that violate existing laws, rules, and regulations is also prohibited, along with "information that harm or put other people in embarrassing, inconvenient, and or humiliating positions or put the AFP or any of its units in bad light."

Zata said posting personal opinion is not strictly prohibited, but all personnel must ensure their posts are not construed as official releases, statements, or position of the AFP.

"The AFP also reminded its commanders and spokespersons to follow the Security-Accuracy-Propriety-Policy Rule published in a 2007 Letter Directive," he said.

"Security refers to measures that prevent unauthorized persons from having access to official and classified information, while accuracy refers to the correctness of all data, names, figures, quotations, and statements," said Zata.

"Meanwhile, propriety limits to the proper authority the disclosure of information that are within their official capacity and responsibility. Policy on the other hand refers to the adherence to a broad course of action or guidance adopted by the government in pursuit of certain objectives," he added.

Zata said "the reiteration of an existing AFP wide memo was issued the other day on account of posts and comments monitored in social media in the past."

"We normally send this reiteration to remind AFP personnel about proper decorum in socmed and not necessarily as a result of an incident," he said.

AFP Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos Jr. said "each member of our organization has a responsibility to protect not only our physical structures and the lives they contain, but more importantly the people's trust and confidence that took many years to build."

"Our ranks and positions as public servants hold us to higher standards of discipline and behavior and we are expected to live up to these in every aspect of our lives," he added. Robina Asido/DMS