Gonzales hands-off on promotion of AFP officers

MANILA, Philippines - Newly installed Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales is keeping a hands-off policy on the designation or promotion of key officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Gonzales said he doesn’t mind whoever gets appointed to a particular position, since President Arroyo is the appointing authority.

“I won’t mind whoever is there. My thinking is that I should respect the institution in matters of making decision for itself, like who gets promoted, who gets assigned to a particular position. I will not interfere. And you know the appointing power is the President,” he said.

Gonzales made the statement in reaction to speculations that his appointment as Defense chief is part of the plot to ease out AFP chief Gen. Victor Ibrado and install Army chief Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit.

Under the so-called “Oplan August Moon,” once Bangit is installed as the new AFP chief, the military will be used to derail the May 2010 elections to prolong President Arroyo’s term of office.

Ibrado said the August Moon plot was a product of wild imagination.

Bangit also said that he would block any attempt to use the military to derail the elections or remove Ibrado.

Bangit, the former chief of the Presidential Security Group that protected President Arroyo, also dismissed the August Moon plot.

“Never will I do something that will, as alleged, cause his (Ibrado’s) ouster from the position, as what current insinuations would probably want to happen. If someone will grab it from Gen. Ibrado, I will be the first one to oppose,” Bangit said.

A group of junior officers earlier revealed the plan following the appointment of Gonzales as Defense chief, replacing GilbertoTeodoro who is running for president under the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

The same group of officers, who had requested anonymity, also called on Congress to approve a pending bill seeking to provide a fixed term of three years for the AFP chief.

The officers also reminded lawmakers of the pending bill that would ensure the term of the AFP chief without any political intervention.

The officers were referring to Senate Bill 31 that sought a fixed term of three years for the AFP chief, to start on the day of appointment by the President, regardless of the date of confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.

The proposal also prohibits the appointment of an officer as AFP chief if he has only less than a year to serve before mandatory retirement.

It also prohibits the extension of term of the AFP chief, except in case of war or national emergencies as Congress may declare.

Senators Benigno Aquino III, Manuel Villar Jr. and Francis Escudero, for their part, had signed a manifesto urging Mrs. Arroyo to extend the term of Ibrado for a few more months until June 30 next year when the new president takes over.

The three presidential hopefuls called on Mrs. Arroyo to allow Ibrado to continue the leadership of the military during the critical phase of the national elections in the May 2010 elections.

Ibrado is scheduled to retire in March 2010.

Malacañang yesterday said Mrs. Arroyo would consider the proposal of the three senators.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the proposal is a welcome development and an indication of confidence in Ibrado.

“These (senators) finally agreed with the choice of the President for the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Gen. Ibrado,” Remonde said.

“We are happy with this confidence being given to our AFP Chief of Staff. This only shows that the AFP remains professional and independent of politics,” he said.

Remonde said the President would take the manifesto made by the three senators in great consideration.

Ibrado is reportedly open to the proposal to extend his term for a few more months but said the decision still rests on the President.           – With Marvin Sy