by VICTOR REYES (Malaya)
http://www.malaya.com.ph/03102010/news6.htmlINCOMING Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit vowed that he will not be a party to any cheating in the May national elections and the military establishment will remain insulated from any political activity during his term.
AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner quoted Bangit in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo yesterday as saying that he will not allow himself to be used by any interest groups in the polls.
Bangit is the 11th AFP chief to be appointed by President Arroyo since she assumed office in January 2001. He will take over the top AFP post today in rites to be presided by the President in Camp Aguinaldo.
His projected appointment was met with a lot of calls for the extension instead of retiring AFP chief Gen. Victor Ibrado, and his actual appointment with fears of poll cheating, failure of elections and military takeover.
President Arroyo announced Bangit’s appointment last Tuesday.
Bangit is a member of the Philippine Military Academy class 1978 that has adopted the President as an honorary member. He is described by many as "fiercely loyal" to the President.
"(Bangit) also said that he is assuring the public that he will not be used for any cheating in the coming elections so as the next chief of staff, he will not allow his position or his person to be used for electoral fraud," Brawner told reporters.
Army spokesman Lt. Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos also stressed that Bangit "is a professional soldier who will not succumb to the wishes of political interest groups."
"He remains apolitical and was never involved in partisan politics. As a professional soldier, he continues to uphold the Constitution and vowed to do his best to serve the interest of the people and the nation. He will never allow the organization to be used to advance any political interest," said Burgos.
He also downplayed criticisms that Bangit’s appointment bypassed AFP vice chief Lt. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang who is the most senior lieutenant general after Bangit. Maclang is retiring on June 9.
Burgos also said that when AFP chief Alexander Yano –a mistah of Ibrado’s in PMA class ’76 – assumed in 2008, then AFP vice chief Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna was more senior than him as Luna was from the PMA class ’75.
Newly appointed Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza who said he personally knows Bangit as a very professional soldier, said seniority in the uniformed service pertains to who was promoted first and not the year when one graduated. He also said Bangit is one of the most senior in the military, having been among the first to be promoted to the rank of three-star general.
Malacañang yesterday urged critics to give Bangit a chance to prove himself even as it admitted that his loyalty to the President was among the factors Arroyo considered in appointing him.
But Press Secretary Crispulo Icban Jr. and Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Charito Planas pointed out that seniority was only one of the criteria considered by the President in choosing the new AFP chief. Icban said Bangit met all the criteria of seniority, trust and loyalty. "Sa lahat ng criteria na ito, si Gen. Bangit na lang ang napili, at lumabas naman po na mahusay na general si Gen. Bangit," he said.
Former president Joseph Estrada who is running for president anew was all for giving Bangit a chance amid talks of a "no proclamation scenario" after the May 10 elections.
Estrada said the AFP is a professional military organization and would not allow itself to be used for purposes other than those mandated by the Constitution. "There are rumors that Gen. Bangit and his men would be used to manipulate the outcome of the elections. It’s a recipe for unrest. Let’s give Bangit a chance to disprove all allegations against him. He’s the most maligned military chief. I still subscribe to the professionalism of the military," he said.
"The AFP, under Bangit, should remain apolitical and non-partisan at all times. We should not allow a repeat of ‘Hello Garci. I don’t think Bangit is that stupid to ruin his military career just so President Arroyo could stay in power even after the elections," Estrada said.
Ibrado himself, interviewed at the opening of the RP-US Balikatan exercises in Camp Aguinaldo, vouched for Bangit’s integrity.
"It’s (Bangit-bashing) unfair. Why? Did Gen. Bangit do something in the past? He has not done anything. You look at his record and you will find out that he has not been involved in such activities. Gen. Bangit (performed well), even when he was a commander before of a battalion, brigade, division, and Army commander, he did very well and I know him personally. I know he will make a good chief of staff."
Ibrado said the military will not be involved in any electoral fraud, noting that military leaders have been instilling in the minds of their subordinate officers and men to be non-partisan, to maintain independence and to be professionals.
""How can you do that, everybody’s eyes are on you? At this time, the election is very critical and I’m sure no such foolishness will happen. I am confident because we, even long before the elections, have been talking about this, we have talked to our people and told them, the soldiers, the officers and men, that we will be non-partisan, we will maintain our independence, be professionals," said Ibrado.
Navy chief Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez and Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Oscar Rabena also defended Bangit’s appointment, saying they look forward to a successful presidential election.
"Let’s give him a chance, why look for something that is not there," said Golez, referring to the charges that Bangit will be a party to poll fraud. He said Bangit’s critics are "entitled to their own opinions and we will respect that" but stressed that the military will not allow cheating in the elections. "It has been our advocacy ever since –honest, credible elections."
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