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By Efren L. Danao, Senior
Reporter
The spate of rumors painting
different scenarios has confounded even a seasoned politician like
Sen. Manuel Villar Jr.
“It is confusing us on what the
real scenario is,” Villar said Tuesday at a roundtable with The
Manila Times editors and columnists.
He said that he had disregarded
the rumored declaration of martial law but then came the discovery
of a bomb at the Department of Agriculture and other places.
“I had also discounted the no
election and failure of elections scenarios but then, [the] Barbados
and Smarmatic [issues] came along,” he added.
He said that he had taken for
granted that there would be poll automation in 2010, but he became
concerned when the name of Barbados entered the picture. Smartmatic
had submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) its
articles of incorporation in Barbados, a small island-country in the
Caribbean.
“Barbados is a tax haven.
Companies incorporated there are represented by a lawyer only. The
real owners are never identified,” Villar said.
He wondered why Comelec had
entrusted automated election to Smartmatic whose owners were not
even known.
He said his concern deepened with
the sudden withdrawal of Total Information Management Inc. (TIM)
from its joint venture agreement with Smartmatic. TIM cited
“irreconcilable differences” with Smartmatic in withdrawing from
the joint venture that had already won the bid for the full
automation of the 2010 election.
“Are they [TIM] being asked to
do something that they do not want to do? The plot thickens,”
Villar mused.
He warned that if something
drastic like martial law, no election or failure of election would
take place, the country’s economy would be set back by three
years.
“We can’t afford this set
back in a zero to 1 percent growth rate of our gross domestic
product [GDP],” he said.
GDP is the total cost of all
goods and services produced in the country in a year.
‘August Moon’
Among the rumors being churned
out is the alleged hatching of Oplan August Moon, which is part of
the plan to ensure the President Gloria Arroyo will remain in power
beyond 2010 with the help of the members of the Philippine Military
Academy (PMA) Class of 1978.
On Wednesday, Defense Secretary
Gilbert Teodoro appealed to the group or people behind the spreading
of such rumors to immediately stop since the military remains
apolitical.
“We appeal to those who are
doing this for their selfish or pity ends, choose another playground
to play your games with,” Teodoro said in his speech during the
62nd anniversary of the Philippine Air Force on Wednesday. “The
Armed Forces of the Philippines is solidly behind the
Constitution.”
But a disgruntled member of the
Academy’s Class of 1977 said the Class of 1978 had been
politicized despite claims that the military and police
organizations still remain apolitical.
“Our police and military
institutions have become politicized. Class ‘78 has overstepped
the boundaries,” said the uniformed official who asked not to be
named for fear of reprisal. “They occupy all key posts now. Are
they not satisfied yet?”
He added that what looks like to
be moves to install the Class of 1978 into key posts of the military
and police has caused demoralization among the Class of 1977.
A police official belonging to
Class 1977 even claimed they were being treated like second-class
police and soldiers by their fellow officers who have overtaken them
in their ranks, which has ruined the military tradition.
“Where is respect for
upperclassmen? Class 1978 is consumed by their ambitions. They are
creating disgruntlement among those who are not favored,” said the
police official who also asked not to be identified.
The Class of 1978 has adopted
President Gloria Arroyo as its member when she was still a senator.
Members of the Class of 1978 now
occupy key positions in the national police and the military, like
Army Commander Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit, who is being groomed as the
next Armed Forces chief. Another controversial member of Class 1978
is Brig. Gen. Romeo Prestoza who is the top military spy.
But the leadership at the Armed
Forces has dismissed the plot, saying it was “non-existent.”
With Jefferson Antiporda
And Sammy Martin
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