Senior military, police officials deny endorsing FPJ

Senior military and police officials downplayed yesterday the endorsement made by retired generals on the candidacy of movie action star Fernando Poe Jr., saying they were merely bootlicking job-seekers.

At the same time, Malacañang warned police and military officials in the active service against engaging in partisan political activities amid reports that the some members of the Association of Generals and Flag Officers (AGFO) support the opposition’s official standard-bearer.

"Those retired can, based on the Constitution, be active in partisan politics. But those in the active service constitutionally can only vote but cannot be involved in the campaign," Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairman Michael Defensor, President Arroyo’s official campaign spokesman, said.

However, in an official statement released to the Palace press office yesterday, AGFO president, Brig. Gen. Ernesto Gidaya strongly denied the reports that their group was supporting Poe.

"The association is strictly non-partisan and does not involve itself in political activities," AGFO said. "The members, however, are free to express their own personal preferences or opinions but they cannot speak for AGFO."

Military officials, who asked not to be named, also said that the retired generals "do not speak for and on behalf of AGFO nor any association in the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP)."

The officials claimed that those who attended Monday’s "AGFO for Poe" meeting at a Quezon City restaurant were representing the interests of either two deposed presidents — the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos or Joseph Estrada, now detained for plunder charges.

"Not all of the retired generals who attended the ‘AGFO for Poe’ meeting were there to endorse the presidential bid of Poe but to observe and find out the actor’s platform of governance," the group statement added.

They also confirmed the presence of several active military officials in the meeting but claimed that they were there to monitor the activity.

Contrary to reports that there were 50 retired generals in the meeting, the group said there were actually less than a dozen.

"Kakaunti lang sila at karamihan ay yong mga bata dati ni Marcos at iyong iba naman ay mga heneral dati ni Erap. Yong mga iyan ay naghahanap lang ng trabaho at puwesto (There are only few and most of them have served either Marcos or Estrada. These were people merely looking for jobs and position)," they said.

Present at the meeting were former police and military generals Pedro Navarro, Alfredo Lim, Ernesto Maristela, Roberto Calinisan, Jaime Echeverria, Pedro Balbanero and Angel Sadang.

GFO corporate secretary, retired Brig. Gen. Paterno Lomongo, clarified that some were only present because they were invited by the organizers.

Retired brigadier general Sadang said he was one of those invited to the meeting. He clarified that most who attended the gathering were civilians and not AGFO members. Some, he added, are not even supporters of Poe but of Sen. Panfilo Lacson.— With Marichu Villanueva