‘MECO post is Espinosa’s for the asking’

President Arroyo confirmed yesterday Maj. Gen. Edgardo Espinosa may be appointed to head the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taipei, Taiwan if he wants it.

"If he wants to be in MECO, he can have it. It is his for the asking," the President told reporters during her weekly press conference at Malacañang.

She explained that Espinosa has filed his application for retirement, effectively withdrawing his bid in the aggressive jockeying for the post of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff.

Espinosa, chief of the AFP Joint Command and Staff College, was widely believed to be among the front-runners for the AFP top post which becomes vacant upon the mandatory retirement of incumbent chief Gen. Angelo Reyes on March 17.

But senior military officials have strongly objected to his succession to the post because of his allegedly checkered track record as chief of the AFP Southern Command.

Espinosa was relieved of his Southcom post in February last year after allegations that he was involved in some shady transactions.

But Mrs. Arroyo, an honorary member of Espinosa’s Philippine Military Academy Class of 1968, has not made any bones of her close association with the Marine general whom she fondly calls "Espine."

The President has repeatedly cited Espinosa as among the five police and military officials who allegedly hatched a plot to force former President Joseph Estrada out of office had the EDSA people power II not overtaken them in January.

While military observers claim that the President’s pronouncements effectively eased Espinosa out of the running for AFP chief, she remained tight-lipped on whom she is inclined to name as replacement for Reyes.

Reyes, who had pre-empted the plot of Espinosa’s group by withdrawing support for Estrada, will reportedly be given a Cabinet portfolio as defense secretary.

"You know, usually the incoming chief of staff only knows who is going to be incoming chief a couple of days because it happens. That’s the way it will be," she had said last week.

Acting Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita told The STAR the Department of National Defense (DND) and the AFP board of generals will submit their short list of nominees "based on the President’s timetable."

But the President announced one important criteria she would consider in naming the next AFP chief.

"As I have said before, it’s very difficult to draw up a set of black and white criteria for something that is really the prerogative of the Commander-in-Chief," she said.

"But in general, I might say that I am looking for somebody who can unite the Armed Forces behind the Constitution. The one who can best unite the Armed Forces behind the Constitution would make the best chief of staff of the Armed Forces," she added.

During her previous inspections of military camps, the President herself declared she will abide by the traditional "seniority rule" in military promotions.

She had said she would abandon the controversial "deep selection" process that allowed her predecessors to bypass senior generals and appoint junior generals to the AFP top post.

Ermita explained that the DND and AFP usually come up with their own short lists of nominees which are then submitted to the President.

"We in the DND prepare our own recommendations. The board of generals would also come up with a short list and submit its recommendation to the President through the Secretary of Defense," Ermita said.

"Once we agree with what is submitted by (AFP) general headquarters, we then submit the list to the President," he added.

Ermita, however, noted that the list is not necessarily binding.

"The President still has the prerogative to choose whoever she wishes to be the new chief of staff," he added.