Gen. Bangit named to ‘prevent’ proclamation of winners in May polls
BY JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA Reporter

President Gloria Arroyo’s appointment of a new military chief came under fire from the Liberal Party (LP), which charged that her move was meant to prevent the proclamation of winners in the May 2010 elections.

Those polls will pick President Arroyo’s successor, whom she is expected to swear in on June 30, the end of her nine-year presidency.

The President on Monday announced that Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit would replace Gen. Victor Ibrado as the new chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Ibrado is set to retire on March 10, when he would have reached the mandatory retirement age of 56. On the same date, the 60-day election ban on presidential appointments starts.

Her appointment of Bangit, who until his promotion was the chief of the Philippine Army, came despite calls of various sectors to extend the tour of duty of Ibrado beyond March 10 to ensure the stability of the country.

Besides, the appointment was said to have been made at the expense of more qualified candidates.

Expecting possible fallout from Bangit’s appointment, deputy spokesman Gary Olivar earlier on Monday said that Malacañang was ready to defend the President’s move.

“Well, I’m sure that there will be new criticisms about that but again, we have trust in the President’s wisdom and discretion when it comes to this matter. You know that Gen. Ibrado wants to retire and I think we should allow him to do that,” he added.

Olivar fended off allegations that Bangit’s appointment was intended for the “no-proclamation scheme” after the holding of the country’s first automated elections on May 10 this year.

Wild hearsay
“We know [that these accusations are nothing but] wild hearsay and speculation. Again, there’s no basis, no evidence [that would justify these allegations]. There are a lot of criticisms being labeled against the President without [the critics] even having second thoughts if those [charges] are credible or reasonable,” he said.

“How could there be no proclamation of winners [in the May 2010 polls] when we are having automated elections and there will be no election failure . . . again as usual these [allegations] are opposition speculation,” Olivar said.

The Liberal Party did not disappoint Olivar.

Also on Monday, it challenged the new Armed Forces chief to prove his loyalty to the Constitution and the rule of law, not to the appointing power.

Bangit “should bear in mind that his appointment comes at a time when there is a great deal of anxiety over allegations that this administration has no intention of stepping down after June 30, 2010,” LP member and Sen. Francis Pangilinan said in a statement.

“All eyes are on [Bangit] and we expect him as a professional soldier not to allow the AFP to be a tool to prop up a very unpopular administration through unconstitutional and illegal means,” Pangilinan added.

His fellow senator, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, said that Bangit “should prove and show his impartiality and commitment to clean, honest and peaceful elections.”

Above suspicion
“Given his closeness to [the President], he [also] must prove himself to our people and must be above suspicion,” Escudero added. Bangit once also headed the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and was former chief of military intelligence.

His fellow senator and partymate Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd said that Bangit being too familiar with Mrs. Arroyo would work against the Liberal Party.

“Nakakabahala itong appointment na ito dahil hindi naman sikreto na ito yung klase na pinapaboran ng Pangulo, na nag-adopt at pinapaboran ng Pangulo [Bangit’s appointment is alarming because it is no secret that the likes of the new military chief are the ones favored by Mrs. Arroyo],” added Roxas, also the running mate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd, LP standard-bearer in the May 10 balloting.

He warned the public to remain vigilant as Bangit’s appointment might be part of the administration’s plot to stay in power.

The new Armed Forces head will formally take the place of Ibrado on Wednesday during turnover at the military’s headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Bangit, a member of the Philippine Military Academy’s “Makatarungan” Class of 1978 of which the President is an honorary member, had been the commander of the Southern Luzon Command from May 2008 to May 2009 before he was appointed as chief of the Army.

During his tour with the Southern Luzon Command, he was able to dismantle several guerrilla fronts of the communist New People’s Army.

Bangit headed the Intelligence Service of Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) from August 2006 to September 2007 and the PSG from February 2003 to September 2007.

He was a graduate of the Command and Staff Course at the Australian Army Command and Staff College; Pre-Command Course for Battalion Commanders and Infantry Officer Advance Course, both taken at the Combat Arms School, Training Command, Philippine Army.

The newly appointed Armed Forces chief of staff was also a recipient of numerous awards, medals, commendations and recognitions, including five Distinguished Service Star Awards, Philippine Legion of Honor Order of Officer, three Bronze Cross Medals, Silver Wing Medal and 20 Military Merit Medals.

His colorful career as a military officer was marked by controversies, including the so-called Operation:
August Moon in 2009, that arose from his perceived closeness to Mrs. Arroyo.

A ranking military source had tagged Bangit (codename: “The Emperor”) as the beneficiary of the August Moon plot, which was hatched December 2008 and involved a three-month campaign to push Bangit to the top of the military totem pole and cut short Ibrado’s term.

Class of 1978
Bangit and other members of Class of 1978, according to the military source, will be used to back moves to amend the 1987 Constitution that would allow elective leaders to remain in office after their term and that of the President end this year.

The military leadership denied Operation: August Moon, saying that did not exist and that the military is a professional institution.

Calls to extend Ibrado’s tour were also raised because of the presumption that Bangit would be the next Armed Forces chief of staff and that the military might be used to cheat in the May 10 polls in favor of the Arroyo administration.

Felix Brawner, who heads the military’s Public Affairs Office, during an interview dismissed the speculations and said that the military as a whole would not allow cheating to happen.

“We have thinking soldiers. We are professionals, we are disciplined, and our soldiers know what is right and what is wrong and we believe that the AFP will remain professional regardless of who is the chief of staff,” Brawner stressed.

Professional soldier
He maintained that the Armed Forces under Ibrado has become more disciplined and that improvement was clearly manifested during the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao province after a massacre took place there in November 2009.

Ibrado, Brawner said, also brought stability not just to the organization but the entire nation, earning for Ibrado the respect of subordinates, peers and superiors and civilians.

Bangit said that it was an honor for him to be chosen as the next Armed Forces chief of staff.

“I would like to assure the people that I will do my very best to serve the interest of this nation and the Filipino people,” he added.

He also promised to be a very good commander to the 120,000-strong Armed Forces just like what he did when he took over the Philippine Army.

Ibrado described Bangit as very professional and a very good commander and that he would do a good job as the military chief.

He branded as unfair accusations that Ibrado’s appointment was connected with the May 10 elections.

“He is a professional, competent and best ever commanding general I ever met, and those who don’t know could ask me personally,” Ibrado said.

Like him, members of the Magdalo group also on Monday said that they have no objection to Bangit’s appointment.

“Everyone is aware of the issues previously raised prior to this appointment by President Arroyo of Gen. Bangit. Nevertheless, we are praying that the new chief of staff appreciates that the coming national and local elections, and the major role of our soldiers, sailors and airmen in securing our voters and the votes they cast, will be a lasting legacy for him and the entire AFP,” said Ashley Acedillo, Magdalo national spokesman.

Magdalo is a group of reform-minded rebel officers in the military that are seen as a threat to the Arroyo administration. Some of its members, including Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th, are in jail on rebellion charges.

Better qualified
Bangit supposedly bypassed other more senior officers who are also qualified for the post, namely AFP Vice Chief of Staff Rodrigo Maclang, Navy Flag Officer in Command and Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez, Deputy Chief of Staff Emilio Marayag, Western Mindanao Command chief and Lt. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino, Western Command chief and Lt. Gen. Hernanie Perez, Philippine Military Academy Supt. and Vice Admiral Leonardo Calderon and Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Legaspi, all members of the PMA Class of 1976.

Also seen as more qualified than Bangit are members of the PMA Class of 1977, namely Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command; Northern Luzon Command chief and Maj. Gen. Ricardo David; National Development Support Command chief and Lt. Gen. Nestor Ochoa; Ninth
Infantry Division chief and Maj. Gen. Romeo Pabustan; First Air Division chief and Maj. Gen. Horacio Lapinid; acting Third Air Division chief and Maj. Gen. Danilo Ferrer; Rear Admiral Mario Catacutan (J-1); Maj. Gen. Daniel Casabar (J-4); Maj. Gen. Hilario Atendido (J-8) and Air Force Flying School chief and Maj. Gen. Hilario Bautista.

All three-star generals, the heads of the major service commands and the chiefs of the unified commands are all qualified to take the place of the chief of staff.

Other appointments
Bangit’s appointment came less than four months before the President steps down from power in June.

The President announced other appointments to her Cabinet in two separate engagements, the first during graduation ceremonies for 248 high school students of San Sebastian College in Manila and the second at Go Negosyo Summit at World Trace Center in Pasay City.

Jesli Lapus will take over the Trade department from Peter Favila. His post as Education chief will go to Mona Valisno of the Presidential Task Force on Education.

Favila will serve in the Monetary Board, the highest policy making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. He is the second Arroyo Cabinet member to get a seat at the Monetary Board. The first was Ignacio Bunye, who had served as Mrs. Arroyo’s Press secretary and spokesman.

Lawyer Melvin Matibag will replace Alfonso Cusi as the general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority. Cusi has been assigned to lead the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

Speaking before the San Sebastian students, Mrs. Arroyo said that almost 50 percent of all high-school students are now on government scholarships.

She expressed hope that these unprecedented scholarships for college and high-school students would be maintained by the next administration.

The President said that for the remaining months of her term, she will continue with her hands-on governance, focusing on providing more power and growth to the regions to decongest Metro Manila; the 3Es (education, economy and environment) to create sustainable and equitable development; and the youth who are the “hope for a better and brighter Philippines.”
With reports From Angelo S. Samonte, Johanna M. Sampan, Cris G. Odronia And Francis Earl A. Cueto