By Ronron
June 11, 2007
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is conducting a survey among its ranks as regards their sentiments over the impending victory of resigned Lt. Sr. Grade Antonio Trillanes IV in the recently concluded senatorial race.
AFP Public Information Officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said Monday that the survey started Wednesday last week and is currently being conducted among rank and file members of the military based in Metro Manila.
He said the AFP Civil Relations Service is spearheading the activity.
“Through this survey, we will know how to educate our soldiers (in relation to their perception of the victory of Trillanes),” Bacarro said. “It’s a management tool to find out what is the sentiment down there so the management can act on and give appropriate response to educate the people in the lower level.”
He said that in particular, if the survey reveals that there are some soldiers who are against the proclamation of Trillanes because of his reputation and pending case in the military service, then the AFP leadership can take actions to make them understand that Trillanes got a mandate from the people.
“It’s to remove rumblings within the organization because it is possible that these dissenting opinion of a few soldiers would create rumblings,” Bacarro explained.
“We will educate our soldiers that he (Trillanes) got a mandate from 12 million Filipinos and he needs to perform his job (as Senator), but since he has a pending case as a result of the Oakwood incident, he will have to face that. Other soldiers do not know this so this will clear the picture to them,” he added.
The questions in the survey, which will be answered with either Strongly Agree, Agree, Unsure, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree, are the following:
1. In the May 2007 elections, it is possible that many personnel, active or retired, have also supported the candidacy of ex-Lt. Trillanes.
2. Voters have cast their votes for Trillanes to openly express their disappointment with the present national leadership.
3. The votes cast in favor of ex-Lt. Trillanes reflect the people's trust in his competence for good governance.
4. Within the military organization, a Trillanes vote indicates a compelling desire for change in the military/defense establishment.
5. Within the AFP, a Trillanes vote implies defiance of the AFP top brass.
6. I perceive ex-Lt. Trillanes, who is a military man, to have limited knowledge of governance.
7. Trillanes is successful in his senatorial bid because of the public's dissatisfaction with the military/defense leadership.
8. Ex-Lt. Antonio Trillanes definitely provides strong leadership.
9. Many have supported Trillanes' candidacy because he represents reform in the Armed Forces.
10. The concerns of the soldiers will be better represented when Trillanes becomes senator.
11. Ex-Lt. Trillanes should be released on bail by the time he sits as senator.
12. Ex-Lt. Trillanes should have waited for the conclusion of the charges against him before running for public office.
13. Coming from the military organization, ex-Lt. Trillanes can bring forth significant changes for the AFP should he get elected.
14. Ex-Lt. Trillanes wants to be in power so he cannot be made accountable for his fault in the Oakwood event.
15. I believe that ex-Lt. Trillanes is supported by politicians who want a divided AFP.
16. The votes that ex-Lt. Trillanes got are expressions of the public's diminished confidence in the military organization.
17. The support that Trillanes got represents a silent approval that agrees with extra-constitutional resort to achieve organizational change.
18. If this country requires radical alternatives such as ... a coup d'etat to achieve reforms, then so be it.
19. Voluntarily, ex-Lt. Trillanes could have forged an alliance with the Left for his senatorial candidacy; and,
20. Left-leaning groups have supported Trillanes because they saw in him a rallying point to promote their cause.
Bacarro said the officers and soldiers who get to respond to the questionnaire have the option to disclose or not their names and ranks.
Bacarro admitted this is the first time they did this kind of activity because “this is the first time in Philippine history wherein a former military who is now on detention won (a national elective post).”
He could not say, however, when the survey will wrap up and its results be disclosed./DMS
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