Espinosa: Reyes succumbed to 'pressures' for my relief

DAVAO CITY - The relieved head of the military's Southern Command (Southcom) said Armed Forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes apparently succumbed to "pressures" from certain quarters seeking his relief.

And Lt. Gen. Edgardo Espinosa believes that presidential friend Lee Ping Wee, a big businessman based in Zamboanga City, was among those who had sought his relief after he took back three Marine escorts assigned to the former presidential assistant for Min-danao.

Espinosa was booted out as Southcom commander the other day, reportedly because of his failure to contain the communist insurgency and Moro secessionist rebellion in Mindanao.

"This is not true. The leading communist rebel leaders in Mindanao were either captured or surrendered during my term as Southcom chief, while the military overran Camp Omar of the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) during my time," he said.

Espinosa added: "Don't mistake this as sour-graping. There are just things that have to be straightened out since I have not spoken, and all of those things that they say led to my ouster are not true at all."

As early as the last week of January, he said Reyes had informed him that certain quarters wanted him out as Southcom chief.

Espinosa said a "scenario" was proposed that he should go on leave, which he rejected.

"I told Gen. Reyes that it was up to him if he would give in to the pressure. As far as I'm concerned, I would continue doing my job. Gen. Reyes has emerged to have given in to that pressure," he said.

Espinosa added: "I'm not clinging to my position. I will not go down on my knees to beg for me to get back my position. I just want to show how things really are."

Espinosa questioned the disposition form that effected his relief as Southcom chief upon the "verbal instruction" of President Estrada.

"We don't work on verbal instructions, especially on sensitive matters like this that should require a memorandum from the President," he said.

The disposition form, he said, was signed by Col. Lamberto Sillona, deputy head of the Armed Forces' personnel division (J1), and designated Maj. Gen. Deomidio Villanueva as his replacement.

Besides, Espinosa said he could not understand why the relief order was issued on Feb. 25, which Malacañang had declared a holiday because of the EDSA Revolution commemoration.

"See, it was even done on a holiday when you could not even get in touch with anyone," he said.

He said he wondered if the President really knew about his relief. "It was upon verbal instruction. But all I want to know is did the President really order it?" he asked.

Espinosa said he believes Lee Ping Wee was among those behind his relief. "Mr. Lee was apparently irked when I pulled out the three Marine soldiers who were deployed as his security escorts when he was still a presidential assistant. But when he no longer held that post, I had to recall the soldiers," he said.

Espinosa added that he had opposed certain moves of Lee, apparently angering the Zamboanga City businessman. He did not elaborate.

Lee, along with some companions from Zamboanga, allegedly sought an audience with Reyes between the last week of January and the last few days before Espinosa's relief.

Meanwhile, Espinosa also believes that the race for the next Armed Forces chief also had something to do with his ouster. Reyes retires on March 17, 2001.

Espinosa, who belongs to Philippine Military Academy Class '67, and Lt. Gen. Jose Calimlim, chief of the Intelligence Service of the AFP, are said to be the front-runners for the top position.

"They want me out of Southcom because they want to do away with the pattern that has lately been established that whoever becomes Southcom chief also becomes the next AFP chief of staff. There is so much politics in the military," he said.

Reyes and retired Gen. Joselin Nazareno both served as Southcom commander before they were designated Armed Forces chief.

Espinosa added that there has been mounting pressure for the Army to regain control of Southcom.

"It is not that they resent my being a Marine. But the Army feels that since it has at least three divisions in the area, Southcom should be headed by an Army officer," he said.

Espinosa also belied reports that he has had personal problems regarding his sick grandson who died last Feb. 11.

"We have already buried the child. That is not a problem that I would allow to affect my job," he said.

Espinosa said he got all his promotions as a Marine officer in Mindanao. "In my entire military career, I spent almost all of my years in Mindanao, except for the five years that I was out for further studies," he said.

He said he would go on leave starting next week to avail himself of his leave credits. He is now on "floating" status and has to report to Reyes' office.