Cracks in the AFP façade
First posted 10:37pm (Mla time) Sept 10,
2005
By Ramon J. Farolan
Inquirer News Service
THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES HAS always endeavored
to maintain a semblance of unity and neutrality within its
ranks in the face of attempts to draw it into the political
controversies facing the nation. Perhaps, this is because
it has come to realize the increasingly significant role
played by the military establishment in the political life
of our country. While the Constitution talks vaguely of
“the armed forces being the protector of the people
and the State,” the reality today is that the armed
forces determines if the government stays or falls.
With the impeachment process effectively
killed in the House of Representatives, opposition groups
have vowed to go on with protest actions against the President
in a continuing search for what happened in the 2004 elections.
Many call it a search for truth.
The latest movement against the President
is the Bukluran para sa Katotohanan (Coalition for the Truth),
which brought together more than 30 anti-Arroyo organizations
last Sept. 2 at the La Salle Green Hills cafeteria. The
one thing which struck me was the singing of the nationalist
song, “Bayan Ko” at the end of the prayer meeting.
Its haunting strains brought back memories of 1985-86, the
period before the fall of the dictator. Administration partisans
may scoff at the numbers attending the rallies, demonstrations
and prayer meetings against GMA, but I have a feeling they
will continue to haunt the government until they achieve
their objectives.
Where does the military come in? Former
defense secretary and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Renato De
Villa, who is a member of the coalition, put things down
clearly. He said that no amount of rallies or demonstrations
or protest marches could bring down Ms Arroyo without support
from the military sector. He also admitted that the life
and death of their cause—the search for truth—will
be decided by the military.
According to Brig. Gen. Jose Angel Honrado,
AFP spokesman and chief of the Civil Relations Service (CRS-AFP),
the armed forces remains neutral and continues to back the
Arroyo administration. (That sounds like a contradiction.)
He says the chain of command is intact and functioning.
Let us examine some recent developments
in the AFP.
* * *
During the weekend prior to the impeachment
vote in Congress, three battalions of the AFP were kept
on alert in Metro Manila. Who would they have been used
against? The same report also mentioned that “military
units said to hold high anti-government sentiments have
been split into smaller groups and their heavy armaments
and transport vehicles recalled.”
* * *
Last week, Capt. Marlon Mendoza was forcibly
evicted from his quarters in Camp Aguinaldo. Just to refresh
our memories, Mendoza is the junior officer recruited by
the administration to serve as security officer for Election
Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. Mendoza recently testified
in the Senate that alleged gambling lord Bong Pineda had
contributed P300 million to GMA’s campaign kitty.
He also provided some insights into the activities of Commissioner
Garcillano during the election period.
Brig. Gen. Juvenal Narcise, the chairman
of the Housing Board and camp commander of Aguinaldo, has
charged Mendoza with violations of an AFP circular regarding
housing. He may be legally correct, but in the eyes of the
public, Mendoza is being punished for embarrassing the administration
with his Senate testimony. Moral of the story: You can’t
fight city hall; it may cost you your quarters.
* * *
Now comes the latest and, perhaps, the
most embarrassing snafu in the AFP command arrangements.
Last Friday, Maj. Gen. Samuel Bagasin, commanding general
of the 4th Infantry Division, was supposed to take over
from Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza as Southcom chief. The Southern
Command is the largest and most important of the AFP’s
unified commands. It is sometimes a stepping stone to the
position of AFP chief of staff.
Bagasin was the choice of the Board of
Generals (BOG) for the post. There may have been other recommendees
but he was the first choice, and for a while, it looked
like he was it. If reports are accurate, his parents had
flown in from the United States for the change of command
ceremonies. He would also be turning 55 next week. It would
have been a grand reunion for the family; unfortunately,
at the last minute, Ms Arroyo flip-flopped on his appointment.
Apparently, intense lobbying by another
officer threw a monkey wrench into the whole business, denying
Bagasin the promotion. Reports say that Maj. Gen. Gabriel
Habacon, commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division
and a PMA classmate of Bagasin, threatened to come out with
revelations that would embarrass the Armed Forces. (Both
belong to the class of 1973.) Whatever those revelations
may be, they must have been strong enough to force the President
to change her mind. At any rate, instead of Bagasin or Habacon,
GMA designated the deputy chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Edilberto
Adan as officer-in-charge of Southcom, until his retirement
on Jan. 11, 2006, exactly four months from today. Another
revolving door situation coming up for the Armed Forces.
By Jan. 11 next year, Bagasin and Habacon will both be ineligible
for promotion since they will have less than a year of service
left.
* * *
The good news of the week: The Philippines
has offered 25 aid workers to assist hurricane Katrina survivors
in New Orleans. The bad news: There have been 25 million
applicants for the 25 slots.
