AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. : "let us: do our job"

There were no ifs or buts when Philippine Army Commander, Lt.Gen.Hermogenes Esperon Jr. accepted the challenge of President Arroyo to become the new chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Esperon made it clear that he not only has a "glorious" military record in many battles with armed enemies of the state, but he also has the guts to lock horns even with political warlords.

To be named chief of staff is the dream and goal of any military man. That is why there was no hesitance or second-thoughts on the part of Esperon when President Arroyo offered him this rare chance for the ultimate promotion.

The only fly in the ointment, so to speak, is the non-closure of the so-called "Hello Garci" scandal where Esperon was among the military generals implicated in alleged involvement in cheating during the May, 2004 presidential elections.

His alleged crime: being assigned in Mindanao to supposedly ensure the victory of Mrs.Arroyo whom he served as commander of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) one year before the bitterly fought presidential elections of 2004.

And so, at the turnover of command ceremonies held last July 21 at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, President Arroyo expressed confidence on her choice of Esperon to replace AFP chief of staff Gen.Generoso Senga who retired from military service that day on his 56th birthday.

Taking cognizance of the presence of former President Fidel V.Ramos at the turn-over rites, President Arroyo cited Esperon’s previous stint as deputy chief of the PSG during her predecessor’s term.

Mrs.Arroyo noted, "It was throughout Esperon’s tour of duty at the PSG where he showed his mettle as a professional soldier. Although there was no military restiveness during the Ramos watch, the PSG have been in the forefront of the many presidential activities that took their Commander-in-chief to the most dangerous parts of the country while trying to win the war against communist insurgents, Muslim secessionist and military putchists by government’s engaging the rebels in peace negotiations.

"And I believe President Ramos will join me in attesting that his (Esperon) only partisan interest is the people," President Arroyo averred.

The 54-year old Esperon will remain as AFP chief of staff until February 9, 2008 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age.

Esperon has taken squarely upon his shoulders the task to wage the government’s war against communist terrorists following the breakdown of peace talks.

Esperon, of Philippine Military Academy Class 1974, had turned over his post as Philippine Army commander to Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino.

"His (Esperon) grit and audacity are legend," the President said.

The Commander-in-chief in particular singled out Esperon’s combat exploits in the battle against Muslim secessionists in Mindanao and dubbed him "the hero of Camp Rajamuddah." This was in reference to the all out campaign implemented by deposed President Joseph Estrada against the secessionist rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) when Esperon commanded the 602nd Infantry Brigade. He led his troops based in Carmen, Cotabato in many victorious but bloody skirmishes in dismantling of the MILF camp in Rajamuddah at the Liguasan marsh complex in 1999.

In the wake of the Dos Palmas raid by Abu Sayaff bandits who kidnapped several Western nationals and Filipino workers of that resort in Palawan, Esperon was pulled out from Cotabato in June, 2001 to command the 103rd Infantry Brigade in Basilan, the stronghold of this kidnap-for-ransom group. He was responsible for the recovery of most of the Dos Palmas hostages.

She got Esperon in 2002 to serve her as commander of the PSG and promoted him to Brigadier General. Fresh from his combat victories in Mindanao, Esperon applied the same military principle of "use of overwhelming force" in dealing with troublemakers and keeping anti-Arroyo protesters from getting anywhere near the Palace.

Esperon chalked up an outstanding career record that started when he enrolled at the PMA in 1970, right after he graduated valedictorian at the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) where he was a state scholar.

He fondly recalls that his late father, who was a teacher/farmer in their hometown in Asingan, Pangasinan, had entered in his application form at the PSHS his supposed ambition to become a "horticulturist". Up to now, he candidly admits, he has no idea what a horticulturist is.

It was during his high school days at the PSHS that he found the origin of Esperon. He learned in his French classes, which he took as an elective, that their family surname comes from "esperer", which means "to wait" or "to hope."

"But I am an Aeta-lian," he punned.

Esperon’s joke, however, is not quite the truth. He is certainly taller than average Filipinos. His dark complexion is due many rounds on the golf course. Although his subordinates and troopers know his tough military discipline, Esperon keeps his wisecracking to himself and his family and to close friends.

I first met Esperon when he was then a Lt.Colonel called to duty at Malacañang Palace in 1996. He was taken out from the Southern Command (Southcom) where he serving as area command staff for intelligence.

"You can call me Hermogenes, or call me Hermo or Gene, or simply Jun," he cracked when he first introduced himself to me. "My junior officers, though, must call me ‘Sir.’ But the ladies–they can call me anytime!"

It was during the Ramos administration when I first came to know him. He was then the PSG deputy commander and chief of the Presidential Escorts from 1996 to 1998. He was the second-in-command and chief of staff of the PSG under the leadership of former PSG commander Gen. Jose Calimlim.

It was a homecoming for Esperon at the Palace where he used to be assigned to the Presidential Security Command (PSC), the forerunner of the PSG. It was during his stint at the PSC when he was assigned as Philippine military attache to Chicago, Illinois, detailed at the Commission for Filipinos Overseas from August,1982 to March, 1986.

He would have stayed on and lived in America but Esperon decided to return a few weeks after the February, 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. His wife, the late Conchita Castaneda, and their five children had no choice but to support his decision.

He immediately reported for duty to Ramos, who was then the AFP chief of staff and was assigned to Camp Aquino in Tarlac where he worked as intelligence officer.

Thus, in his installation at Camp Aguinaldo, Esperon paid tribute to Ramos, who joined him in that point of his military career, as "the most eminent citizen from Pangasinan, the first chief of staff of the AFP from Asingan".

Team AFP

Esperon vowed to sustain and continue Senga’s actions against military adventurists as he expressed confidence they were only a miniscule segment and greatly outnumbered by the professional military men and women of the AFP.

On the eve of his retirement, Senga approved the formal investigation of military officers led by Army Scout Ranger Danilo Lim who were implicated in the botched Feb.24, 2006 coup plot.

"We just have to enforce the military justice system against those who break the chain of command. No quarter will be given," Esperon said, adding, "Kung ayaw mo, umalis ka (If you don’t like it anymore, leave)."

"We have removed possible points of destabilization. If they want to take their chances, let’s see if they want to challenge my leadership," Esperon warned.

Esperon sticks to the principles they have been trained in military tactics: not to govern, but to obey and follow the constitutional tenets of civilian supremacy over military.

"If they (mutineers) want reforms, as they claim, do it within the chain of command," he stressed.

Despite his tough talk, Esperon cuts a father figure among the officers and men of the armed forces. In his speech at the command turn-over rites, he vowed to lead the "Team AFP" in the frontlines.

"I therefore call upon all the men and women of the Armed Forces to join me and work as members of ‘Team AFP’–solid and united under the chain of command, working together in an environment of mutual trust and confidence, defeating all forces that attempt to undermine our solidarity," Esperon exhorted.

"I shall lead that charge! And I shall be with you in the frontlines as often as possible," he vowed.

Esperon demonstrated his sincerity in the case of several of the Magdalo officers behind the July, 2003 mutiny in Oakwood who have re-joined the AFP ranks and turned their backs on military adventurism. Army officers among the Magdalo leaders in the Oakwood siege–Capt. Milo Maestrecampo, Capt.Gerardo Gambala and most recently Lt. Lawrence San Juan–have returned like prodigal sons of Esperon. Many others are expected to follow now that Esperon is at the helm of the "Team AFP."

"Never My Love"

But while Esperon’s military exploits are legendary, he keeps to himself the little known personal tragedy in his life that left him scarred.

He was just 39 years old when he lost his wife in a tragic car accident in 1991 which left him a widower with five children to raise by himself.

They were going to Baguio City for the PMA reunion and his wife took a separate car with a friend. In Capas, Tarlac–where his wife was born–the car she was in slid into a ditch. She died on the spot while her friend was seriously injured but later died in the hospital. Only the driver survived the crash.Years later, Esperon happened to meet him, and took him on again as his driver.

He had very little memory of those tragic moments but what kept him sane was remembering and playing in his mind their theme song "Never my love". Days later when he reported back for duty, his men, who were used to entering his office without knocking, found him in tears.

He went back to combat duty in Mindanao to keep him from self-pity. After three years in the field, he thought he had gotten over the loss of his beloved wife. But one day after a field operation in Basilan, Esperon hosted a feast for his men at an eatery when a re-run of the movie Ghost was shown on TV and the song Unchained Melody was playing in the background, he found himself reduced to tears again–and one by one, his embarrassed men got up from the table to leave him alone.

In time, he came to terms with his loss and even started to joke about his prospects of remarriage. He used to tell anyone who would care to listen that any woman who becomes his wife will have a "buy one, take five" instant family.

It is a story he now tells with no more tears, especially after re-marrying nine years later. The lucky lady is Dr. Lorna Hermenegilda Valenzuela, 13 years his junior. Their love story started during their stint together at the PSG where she was assigned to the medical service.

Of course, when they got married they had President Ramos and then very popular Senator and vice presidential candidate Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as their wedding sponsors.

The couple now have two daughters of their own, aged five and three and a half. His new family plus five of his children from his late wife, the eldest of whom is a 31-year-old daughter taking up her doctorate in education in Japan, is a favorite joke he cracks about his "virility". He says with a wide grin, "I have children from 3 to 31, from kindergarten to doctorate."

All of them were proud guests at his recent installation even as his unseen enemies make hay over the infamous "Hello Garci" tapes.

I don’t know Garci from Adam!" The woes of the new AFP chief stem from Garcillano’s wiretapped telephone conversations with a woman, supposedly President Arroyo, where he mentioned the name of Esperon as allegedly taking care of the election returns in Mindanao in her favor.

When the Comelec deputized the AFP in Task Force HOPE (Honest, Orderly Peaceful Elections), Esperon recalled, he was designated in January, 2004 as the Task Force commander in charge of the AFP-J-3 operations to help facilitate and secure the conduct of the 2004 elections all over the country

"I need moral authority to lead my men–it’s a matter of clear conscience," Esperon told STARweek in exclusive interview on the eve of his assumption as chief of staff. "As I said, my conscience is clear. Ano ba ang kasalanan ko? My name was mentioned by a guy whom I’ve never met," Esperon pointed out. "Why did he (Garcillano) mention me? Only he can answer that."

In congressional hearings on the tapes last year, Garcillano failed to shed light on many of these questions during his testimony when he invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination.

Esperon said he himself recommended to Senga to create an ad hoc fact-finding committee within the AFP to look into these allegations against him. To this end, Senga convened an internal probe body and designated Philippine Navy flag-officer-in-command Vice Adm. Mateo Mayuga as head. Several months later, the Mayuga body came out with its report and recommendations, one of which cleared Esperon of any culpability in the allegations against him.

"I was really cleared there (the Mayuga Report)," Esperon stressed.

The Defense Department and the Palace, however, have tossed back and forth the Mayuga Report amid calls by opposition senators for a full public disclosure of the Mayuga Report.

"I have not seen it (Mayuga Report). I did not have a hand in it. I was cleared. What more can I ask? But who am I to tell our chief of staff to release it?" he pointed out. "In due time, it (Mayuga Report) will come out."

Esperon has been going all over the country talking with his Army troopers about these charges hanging over him even after the Mayuga Report already cleared him.

"I recognized these issues against me but they tell me I should not mind it and I don’t need to explain because it’s not an issue to them. Probably, they believe me," Esperon said.

Garcillano claimed during the wiretapped conversations that Esperon supposedly took care of the problem involving Brig. Francisco Gudani, who was then the commander of the 1st Philippine Marine Brigade in Marawi City. In those same tapes, the controversial Comelec commissioner alleged that Esperon relieved Gudani whom Garcillano accused of supporting the candidacy of the late actor, Fernando Poe Jr., the presidential standard-bearer of the opposition.

Esperon argued that there was no truth at all in the allegations of Garcillano since he had no power nor authority to relieve Gudani or any military official for that matter.

The Mayuga Report showed Gudani was not relieved but was called back to headquarters by then Philippine Navy chief Adm.Ernesto De Leon who was his commanding general. This was in connection with a strafing incident on the eve of the May 10 elections in Marawi where a young girl was killed allegedly by a Philippine Marine trooper. The Marines were subsequently cleared in that shooting incident.

As Comelec deputies, Esperon pointed out, Gudani’s relief was approved by the poll body. Further, he explained, the relief of any AFP commander has the "blessings" of the Board of Generals headed by the incumbent AFP chief of staff and it goes all the way up to the President as Commander-in-chief of the AFP.

Would he release to the public the full content of the Mayuga Report now that he is AFP chief?

"Do I really have to release it?" Esperon riposted.

Esperon said the President already authorized the AFP to reveal the contents but not to release the full report because there are certain things there that do not need to be made public.

He expressed dismay that the non-release of the Mayuga Report may again prevent his speedy confirmation at the congressional Commission on Appointments.

"You must give us a break and allow us to do our job. Are we the bad guys here? We are not the bad guys here. Our intention is to be of service to our people," Esperon sighed.

"We can do more if there are not to many obstructions. Hindi matatawaran ang hangarin namin na magbuwis ng buhay," he stressed.