Biazon: ‘Joke’ on Abaya not funny

If it was a joke, this senator is not laughing.

Opposition Sen. Rodolfo Biazon admonished Malacañang yesterday for its explanation that President Arroyo’s "early appointment" of Lt. Gen. Narciso Abaya as the next chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was a joke.

"The appointment of an AFP chief of staff is a serious national security concern and should not be treated lightly or even thought of as a joking matter," Biazon, himself a former AFP chief of staff, said.

"If indeed, as hinted by (Presidential Spokesman Ignacio) Bunye, the early announcement by the President on the selection of (Abaya) to be the next AFP chief of staff was meant to be a joke, I am not laughing. Nobody is laughing," Biazon added.

Biazon earlier hailed the selection, manner and timing of Abaya as AFP chief of staff by Mrs. Arroyo. Biazon is the vice chairman of the Senate national defense and security committee and a former Marines general.

"If the President did not mean it to be a joke, but her Palace functionaries even remotely gave a hint that her selectee was a joke, these Palace functionaries are doing a disservice to the President and, more important, to the Filipino people," he said.

Bunye said Thursday that the President’s praises for Abaya during her sorties to the AFP Southern Command (Southcom) areas should not be interpreted to mean Abaya is her choice for the top AFP post, replacing Gen. Dionisio Santiago, who retires on April 18.

"There was no specific announcement (on who will be next AFP chief)," Bunye said, "but what we’re saying is that General Abaya is a strong contender... the matter of appointment becomes final when the appointment is already signed by the President."

The President introduced Abaya as the next AFP chief as she praised him when she visited the Southcom headquarters in Zamboanga City Wednesday. – With Roel Pareño