Day: January 26, 2009

I would not be surprised if the idea to appoint retired general Jovito Palparan, known as the “butcher”, to an anti-illegal drugs body, came from Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.

That would be the surest way to discredit the anti-illegal drugs campaign and lose the cooperation of the civilian community. It’s a stroke of genius that only those with minds so malevolent could think of.

That it was apparently accepted by Gloria Arroyo, who crowned herself anti-drug czar for two weeks, raises questions if she is still in control of the government.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita last Friday floated the possible appointment of Palparan to the Dangerous Drugs Board.

DDB Chairman Tito Sotto said , “Originally, they were talking about a PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) post. But there was no reaction from PDEA.”

That’s why, said Sotto who is also known to cast a moist eye on the action-packed position of PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago, he volunteered that there’s a vacancy in the 17-man board of DDB, which is a policy making body on drug prevention and control.

Sotto, bless his mental vacuity, welcomed Palparan to his turf. “If that is his image (butcher), then that will work well for us. It’s the drug traffickers who should fear him, not the public.”

This guy wants to be senator again.

I can very well understand the “no reaction” from PDEA , which is the one in the forefront of the anti-drug campaign. What would be Palparan’s role in PDEA? He can’t be in a position higher than Director General Santiago. Would he then replace Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino?

That would be shooting two birds with one stone that only shrewd geniuses like Gonzalez could think of. Marcelino is sent back to the Marines and Palparan drags the PDEA into the gutter of summary killings like what happened to Jonas Burgos, Karen Empeño and Sheryl Cadapan.

Rep. Ruffy Biazon is alarmed. Writing in Facebook, Ruffy, (to diffenrentiate him from his father, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon) expressed doubt if Palparan’s reputation of employing extra-judicial methods be the appropriate solution to problems in the anti-illegal drugs campaign.

“Instead of gaining the confidence of the people, the Palparan appointment will only draw criticism and dilute whatever public support the government has in the fight against illegal drugs. Naturally, human rights and other progressive groups will raise a howl about the appointment. The grant of a position for Palparan will seem to them as a reward and condonation for the brutal acts being attributed to the retired general”

Ruffy fears that if Palparan is brought into the anti-drugs campaign, he would have to live up to his “butcher” reputation.” And I’m willing to bet that a tough-looking and tough-talking general who has been praised in no less than the State of the Nation Address in spite of protestations from human rights groups, will be more than eager to prove his mettle as a solution to the drug problem.”

Arroyo’s silly gimmick of being a drug czar (as president, even if illegitimate, she has control of the agencies involved in the anti-drug campaign) for two weeks ends on Feb. 2. The unwritten message to law enforcers is to give her something to brag about on or before that date. As one law enforcer said, “Baka ang mangyayari niyan, ang langgam gawing elepante. (We would have to bloat the ant into an elephant.).

Palparan’s entry to the anti-drug government team would bolster the unfavorable image that Gonzalez and his prosecutors are painting about military men in a civilian law enforcement agency. In the congressional hearing, when he was challenging Marcelino to name his “mistah” who talked to him about freeing the Alabang Boys, Gonzalez’ sarcastic putdown was, “Why didn’t you do to him what you do in Basilan?” That was echoed by a lady prosecutor in a TV interview, when they came to the defense of the signatories to the resolution dismissing the complaint against Richard Brodett, Joseph Tecson, and Jorge Joseph.

That statement struck a sensitive chord on the Marcelino, who had seen action in Basilan. The Marine major said when the justice secretary uttered the jibe, “Everything flashed in my mind. Bakit ganun na lang ang tingin sa mga sundalo doon. Para bang ‘war freak’ kami. (Why does he look down on soldiers in Mindanao. As if we are war freaks).

“Hindi namin gusto makipagpatayan. Maraming mga kasamahan kami na namamatay. May mga pamilya yun. Hindi kami pumunta doon para lang makipapatayan. (We don’t want to kill people. Many of our fellow soldiers have died. They have families. We don’t go there just to kill each other,)

“Kaming mga sundalo hindi makapamili kung saan kami pupunta. Sino ba naman ang gustong makipagpatayan. Walang personal na kasalanana sa amin ang mga yun. NPA man o MNLF o MILF. Hindi ko naman kilala ang mga yun. Ngayon ko lang nakita ang mga yun. And yet pagdating doon, nakikipagpatayan kami.Kapwa Filipino yun. (We soldiers cannot choose where to go. Who wants to engage in killing? Those people have not anything wrong against my person. NPA, MNLF or MILF.I don’t know them. That’s the first time I see then. And yet, we kill each other. They are also Filipinos.)

Marcelino said what is sad about the situation is that the people whom they engage in the battlefield are also victims of injustice. He said, spoken by a cabinet member, and a justice secretary at that, it was as if he does not appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of soldiers.

That’s why the PMA graduates Class 1994, where he belongs, including those detained in Camp Capinpin in connection with the restiveness that followed the revelation of the “Hello Garci” tapes in February 2006, came out with a statement supporting him.

That’s why last Saturday, some 800 PMA alumni , in the presence of AFP Chief Alexander Yano, expressed support to Santiago and Marcelino. “for their exemplary leadership and uncompromising stand.”

Who needs Palparan?
.

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Related article: Solons warn versus militarization

by Victor Reyes
Malaya

Five months before the retirement of Armed Forces chief Gen. Alexander Yano, there are already talks on whether President Arroyo’s perceived favorite officer, Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit, would make it to the top military post.

Some military officers are wary of Bangit’s possible appointment as the military chief, citing the fact that he would be overtaking more senior officers and upperclassmen at the Philippine Military Academy.

Bangit, chief of the Southern Luzon Command, belongs to PMA Class ‘78 that has adopted President Arroyo as an honorary member. He served as chief of the Presidential Security Group and had been with the President since she was vice president. After his stint at the PSG, Bangit was named head the Intelligence Service of the AFP and later on commander of the 2nd Infantry Division. He has been a three-star general for more than a year.

Traditionally, AFP chiefs come the major service commands – Army, Air Force and Navy – and the Southern Command which had been divided into Western and Eastern Mindanao commands.

Among Bangit’s upperclassmen who are qualified for the post of AFP chief are Army chief Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado, AFP deputy chief Lt. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang, Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, and Navy chief Vice Adm. Ferdinand Golez. Like Yano, they belong to PMA Class ‘76 which has adopted Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.

Ibrado is due for retirement in March next year, giving him only nine months in service if appointed AFP chief. The three others have at least one year in the service.

Also in contention is AFP vice chief Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna (Class ‘75) and Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Isagani Cachuela, Class ’76.

Luna is due for retirement in September and Cachuela in November. However, their rise to AFP chief cannot be immediately ruled out because of President Arroyo’s “revolving door” policy.

Ten AFP chiefs have served the Arroyo government, with three of them – Roy Cimatu, Benjamin Defensor and Dionisio Santiago – serving for only a few months.

Also in the running is Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Oscar Rabena (Class ‘78), who served as chief of the Presidential Airlift Wing.

Another officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said naming Bangit AFP chief might be construed as a “political reward.” It will be “less controversial” if Bangit is named Army chief, AFP deputy chief, or AFP vice chief, he said.

Talks of Bangit’s possible appointment as AFP chief intensified after the President’s appointment of Rabena as Air Force chief over upper classmen.

A military analyst, retired Commodore Rex Robles, said he sees no big problem in Bangit being named AFP chief.

“Maybe they (Malacañang) are more comfortable with him,” he said.

Asked if Bangit’s appointment as AFP chief will be productive to the military organization, Robles said: “It depends on how many people he is going to step into and who. But from a strictly professional point of view, there is no reason for infighting ensuing. When you’re already multi-star general, it’s strictly based on merits…The problem is if your merit is questionable. Because the AFP is a small community, everyone knows if you are good or not,” he said.

Robles was a member of the independent body that looked into the Oakwood mutiny in July 2003.

Told that Bangit may be appointed as AFP chief because of his closeness to Malacañang, Robles said: “That will be his baggage. It could be that he is a capable officer whose baggage is that he is close to Malacañang.”

Robles expressed doubt if Yano is going to allow Malacañang to intervene in the deliberations of the Board of Generals which will recommend his successor. The President has the prerogative to uphold the recommendation or appoint whoever she wishes to.

Robles said it would not be easy to force the appointment of Bangit if the “general military council” recommends another officer for the post. “If the President says ‘I want Bangit’, it’s not that easy,” he said.

“In the first place, Yano is sitting as head of the general military council. Will he allow himself to be dictated upon? He is retiring and he’s been showing independence several times,” he said.

Yano assumed the post in May last year.

Proving Yano’s independence, Robles said the campaign against rogue commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mindanao was ordered by Yano and not by the President. He said the President merely supported Yano in the campaign.

On whether Yano will succumb to the wishes of Malacañang in the appointment of Bangit, Robles said: “If the gap (in merits) is not that big, it would not be prudent of to make an issue out of it, on the merit.”

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