Palace: Defensor critics sour grapes

Malacañang dismissed yesterday as "sour grapes" those who are saying that the appointment of Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor as Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff would spawn demoralization in the ranks.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said President Arroyo strongly believed that AFP members were all professionals.

"They understand that it is the prerogative of the President as commander-in-chief of the AFP (to appoint Defensor)," Bunye said. "And she expects that members of the officer corps would all give their support to General Defensor."

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez also expressed full confidence that Defensor was the right man for the job.

"I don’t think there’s a problem technically, legally and morally in the appointment of Defensor as AFP chief," Golez told reporters during a forum at the Holiday Inn hotel.

"I can sleep well, whoever is appointed by the President," Golez added.

Bunye reiterated that there was no political consideration in naming Defensor as next AFP chief.

Certain quarters claimed that Mrs. Arroyo’s decision to appoint Defensor to the top AFP post was meant to win his elder sister, former opposition Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, to the administration side.

"There’s no truth to that. Those are just sour-grapes. The President decided strictly on the merits (of Defensor). We shall see that General Defensor is very well qualified," Bunye told reporters.

He said Mrs. Arroyo’s evaluation showed that all the nominees’ were highly qualified.

"So all things being equal, the President based her decision on seniority," Bunye said.

Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes also asserted that there was no political undertone in the President’s decision to pick Defensor.

"If Defensor was not chosen, then people will say he was not chosen because he is the brother of a prominent member of the opposition and that would be political because you’re using political affiliation as basis for selecting the chief of staff," Reyes said.

"What can be more apolitical than choosing the brother of a member of the political opposition as your (AFP) chief of staff?" he added.

Reyes also stressed that it is the President’s prerogative to appoint or remove the AFP chief, as well as Cabinet members.

The secretary also said he is against fixing the term of the AFP chief because that would limit the President’s options in cases of loss of confidence.

AFP vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gregorio Camiling, one of the contenders to the top post, said he respected the President’s decision.

"I have personally congratulated Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor, my classmate at the (Philippine Military) Academy on his appointment. We worked as a team when we were lieutenants. He supported me when I was division commander and he was TOC Commander. He supported me when he was Commanding General, Philippine Air Force and I was SouthCom (Southern Command) Commander. Now I will support him as his Vice Chief of Staff when he assumes his new post," Camiling said in a statement.

The turnover of command between outgoing AFP chief Gen. Roy Cimatu and Defensor will take place on Sept. 10, or two days before Defensor turns 56, the mandatory retirement age for the military and police organizations.

However, Mrs. Arroyo automatically extended his tour of duty until Nov. 18, giving him exactly 69 days to sit at the helm of the AFP. — Marichu Villanueva, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Paolo Romero