Omen? Chairs collapse at Cimatu’s takeover

The crashing of old chairs under the weight of military generals and officers wilting from the searing heat marked the assumption into office yesterday of Gen. Roy Cimatu as chief of staff of the Armed Forces.

Whether it was an omen of things to come for the Arroyo administration or a simple sign of the decrepit state of the Camp Aguinaldo grandstand, no one could say for sure.

"General Cimatu, if more chairs break down, the command responsibility will go higher in the chain of command," President Arroyo, who was guest of honor at the turnover rites, said to roars of laughter.

As Cimatu took over the post of Gen. Diomedio Villanueva who officially retires tomorrow, the collapsing mono-block chairs victimized a general, a congressman, and even a member of the foreign military delegation.

And in the presence of hundreds of guests at the grandstand, a brigadier general acting as staff for the first honor guard battalion literally withered under the searing heat while trying to stand at attention as Cimatu was delivering his speech.

What prevented the military officer from dropping to his knees was the alertness of his colleagues who quickly grabbed him by the arms and propped him up while first aid was administered.

Everyone later got jumpy when, as Cimatu was speaking, a crack sounding like a small explosion was heard just several meters away from where the President was seated with Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes.

It turned out to be no other than Mania Rep. Harry Angping, who had just fallen from his rickety mono-block chair.

On the ground, an Air Force enlisted man of the second honor guard battalion also collapsed and had to be carried by medics on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance.

Cimatu was about to end his address when another crashing sound caught everyone’s attention: a military general, formerly with the Presidential Security Group and noted to be close to Mrs. Arroyo, had fallen from his chair.

Because of this Cimatu had to digress from his speech and announce that his first priority as chief of staff of the Armed Forces would be the "modernization of the military grandstand."

Finally, he thanked Mrs. Arroyo for appointing him to the top AFP post.

The collapsing chairs and fainting officers were all but forgotten by the time the President took the podium, but even her speech was interrupted when a foreign military dignitary came unceremoniously crashing down from his chair after its leg snapped off.

Without losing her composure, Mrs. Arroyo turned to look compassionately at the fallen guest who, however, was quick to get back on his feet.

Prior to the crashing and fainting, a stray dog initially stole the show upon the President’s arrival at Camp Aguinaldo. Stunned by the deafening 21-gun salute for Mrs. Arroyo, the dog unwittingly trooped the line with his tail between his legs. — Jaime Laude