By Ronron
February 21, 2008
No unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will heed to calls of Catholic bishops for a People Power in the light of revived allegations of corruption by the Arroyo government.
This was the assurance given by AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. following a meeting Thursday with top officials of the organization, especially from the Philippine Air Force, at the latter's headquarters in Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
"We are not seeing any units joining the protests. After all, as I said, that's not part of our job – going to the streets," Esperon said in a news conference.
"Just remember, soldiers are allowed to bear arms for the reason that it is given because it is for the protection of the people, of the sovereignty, and your territory," he said.
Catholic bishops have called on Filipinos to embark on a new People Power following the expose of Rodolfo Lozada, Jr. about the alleged bribery in the $329-million now aborted National Broadband Network (NBN) project.
Lozada had implicated former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo in the alleged anomaly, but the two denied the allegation.
Esperon had admitted Wednesday in a visit and command conference with Navy officials at the Navy headquarters in Manila City that he is leading the "enlightenment" of officers and soldiers on the NBN controversy so they can take the proper necessary action.
This even as he maintained that the military will remain apolitical in the midst of calls for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, which comes at a time when the spirit of People Power lingers due to the forthcoming 22nd anniversary of the first bloodless EDSA Revolution on Monday.
Esperon reiterated yesterday that an "enlightenment" of the military on the NBN issue is necessary because of the prevailing "noise, charges, counter-charges, theatrics and allegations" on it.
"I don't think we should be acting irrationally," he said.
But he said it will only end up on the discussion table, saying "we don't want to bring that into our mission because … we want to focus on our job… - defeat the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army, and destroy the Abu Sayyaf."
Esperon said that should there be some kind of People Power that will emerge as a result of the calls of the bishops, any actions that will follow must "take a legal form."
This means, according to him, that "they could assemble peacefully, air issues, and in the end, not go out of hand to the point that the Philippine National Police cannot handle it."
The military chief candidly admitted that so far, no one has approached him yet to convince him to abandon Arroyo because "they know very well my position."
"We would like to be apolitical, and we are apolitical for as long as it takes. After all, that is what an Armed Forces should be and we believe that it is to the interest of the Republic that we remain apolitical for all times," he stressed.
Should there be military troops who decide to join the mass gatherings in the coming days to call for Arroyo's ouster, Esperon said they will certainly be stopped.
"That is not our mission. That is a political problem, a problem of other groups. If you could solve that among yourselves, that's better for us. You wouldn't want an Armed Forces that would intervene every now and then in matters that are not really military concerns," he said.
Told that what could have made it right then in 1986 and in 2001 for the military to defect from the sitting governments at those times, Esperon just said: "They have explained that. I don't want to judge their actions. They can explain that better."
But he conceded that the 1986 People Power Revolution certainly came about because the people then "wanted something better."
And the 2001 People Power Revolution became a success with the help of the military because then AFP chief of staff and now Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes assumed that then President Joseph Estrada was "practically out of power already."
"And I don't see that happening (this time)," Esperon said.
He said that for now, the people should just let the other institutions perform their respective functions well, like the courts and the Congress, to address the current problem, instead of the military resolving it.
"Don't we trust our courts anymore? Don't we believe in our democratic systems, processes anymore?... We have learned our lessons. One of the lessons we have is that the military must remain apolitical and must not be the one solving the political problems of the country," Esperon said.
He said that even if the upcoming protest actions will meet the so-called critical mass strength, they "do not see" any reason to intervene that effectively leaves the administration powerless.
"I don't think. I would rather not. If you ask me, I would rather not," Esperon said when asked if they will intervene when the critical mass strength is reached./DMS
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