MANILA - Retired Marine colonel and Medal of Valor awardee Ariel Querubin resigned as a member of a group of business persons and professionals after some of its leaders purportedly expressed support for the candidacy of Vice President Leni Robredo.

"As a soldier and a Medal of Valor awardee who has fought the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army) and a witness to soldiers who died in combat fighting the enemies of the state, I will not support a candidate who has alleged links with our enemies," he said in an undated open letter to the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP).

Querubin said he was briefed on Robredo's purported links to the communist movement in a recent meeting with "PNP (Philippine National Police) Senior Officers and representatives of the National Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and former NPA rebels".

With this development, Querubin said he and his wife are resigning "as PSD (Programs and Services Directorate) Head and as members of BCBP Quezon City Chapter."

"Tithes are supposed to be used for evangelization and for the less fortunate and not to promote a particular candidate in elections. Please return the checks earlier issued for the tithes, from May to December 1, 2022. We are for love, unity, and progress; and for an honest, orderly, and peaceful elections," he added.

In 2000, he was awarded the Medal of Valor, the highest military award for a conspicuous deed of personal bravery, for leading an operation against 300 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters in Lanao Del Norte in March of that year.

Querubin was among those involved in a standoff at Fort Bonifacio following a foiled coup plot against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo which resulted in a declaration of a state of emergency in the country in February 2006.

However, he was among those granted amnesty in Proclamation No. 50 issued by the late former President Benigno Aquino III in 2010.

Querubin is among retired military officers who earlier expressed support for the candidacy of former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

Meanwhile, Robredo maintained that she will never form an alliance with anyone who uses violence for any agenda.

"Malinaw ang motibasyon ng walang-tigil na pangre-redtag sa akin at sa mga volunteers natin: Ang pigilan ang momentum ng ating People's Campaign (The motivation for the non-stop red-tagging on me and our volunteers is clear: To stop the momentum of our People's Campaign)," Robredo said in a statement on Thursday. (PNA)