Patronage Politics to Continue Fueling Military Discontent

A retired military official believes there will be a silent crackdown among the ranks of the military after the attempt of certain military officers to march and withdraw support from the Arroyo government was foiled Feb. 24. However, the retired officer said the repositioning in the military leadership would surely favor those who remained loyal to the president and this practice of patronage politics will only create more restiveness among the men in uniform.

BY DABET CASTAÑEDA
Bulatlat

Magdalo flags fly at the Aquino monument at Ayala Avenue during the Feb. 24 rally PHOTO BY DABET CASTAÑEDA

A retired military official in an interview with Bulatlat confirmed reports that young restive officers planned to march at the historic Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) and join the rallies Feb. 24  commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 1986 People Power uprising. The march, the source said, was supposed to be their collective withdrawal of support from their Commander-in-Chief, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Before daybreak, however, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Generoso Senga announced before the media that the AFP leadership has just thwarted a coup and has put under its custody Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim who Senga identified as one of the core leaders.

Warning

The retired army official warned that the arrest and demotion of Lim, who has been “restricted at quarters” and removed from his post as commanding officer of the Scout Rangers Regiment based in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, will not be the last. “Expect a silent crackdown, a repositioning in the leadership,” the source said.

The source said it is most likely that those who remained loyal to the president would be promoted to higher positions and those who were suspected to be part of the “coup” would be demoted like Lim.

“Loyalty to Macapagal-Arroyo has become the primary consideration for placing people to positions,” the source said adding that this practice has destroyed the value of professionalism in the military. “This is most disadvantageous to the performing officers who are not involved in either camps,” the source added.

“While trying to consolidate the ranks by giving promotions to her favored officers, lalong nagagalit yung mga tinatawag na restive block,” (those in the so-called restive block are more angered) the source explained.

This was the same effect, said the source, when the president promoted the so-called “Garci Generals”,  referring to the military officers mentioned in the “Hello Garci Tapes” who were suspected of facilitating the commission of fraud during the May 2004 elections to favor Macapagal-Arroyo. The president has been facing calls for her removal since last year because of accusations that she cheated her way to the presidency and is responsible for widespread poverty and human rights abuses.

To date, a police officer and three military officers who were supposedly mentioned in the controversial wiretapped conversations allegedly between the president and Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, more popularly known as “Garci”, have been promoted. These include Brig. Gen. Gabriel Habacon, former commander of the Joint Task Force Comet in Western Mindanao, currently commander of the 1^st Infantry Division of the Philippine Army (ID PA); Gen. Arturo Lomibao, formerly with the Criminal Investigation  and Detection Group (CIDG) and now Philippine National Police (PNP) chief; Rear Admiral Tirso Danga, former deputy chief of staff for intelligence and now head of the Western Command; and Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon who was former deputy chief of staff for operations, a post he held during the 2004 elections, and currently the commanding officer of the Philippine Army.

“It is sad they have to be in cahoots with Macapagal-Arroyo for them to get their much coveted promotion,” the source said.

“But given that, they will have something to answer for to the people,” the source added.

Preempted

Informally, the source said it was Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon who was decisive in preempting the planned concerted action.

The source said that the core group of the junior officers had initially believed that Senga would agree to withdraw allegiance from their Commander-in-Chief.  But Senga allegedly wanted to make sure that Esperon would take the same stand because the latter has command over a bulk of ground troops. 

Unfortunately, Esperon did not agree and that was the end of the plot, the source said.

The source however said it was expected that Esperon would remain loyal to Macapagal-Arroyo because of his alleged participation in election fraud.

Asked why the core group wanted the participation of Senga, the source said the restive officers did not want bloodshed.

Unnecessary

Given this situation, the source said, the declaration of a state of emergency was unnecessary. “There was nothing to fear because there was no threat anymore. Macapagal-Arroyo had everything under control as early as Thursday night (Feb. 23). No coup would have happened on Friday (Feb. 24),” the source said.

The source said Esperon, after telling Senga he would not withdraw support from the administration, had all the ground troops checked and monitored as early as the evening of Feb. 23.

“The real intention of Proclamation 1017 is to clamp down on media and take over vital industries owned by people critical of or opposed to the government. They are just using the opportunity to sow terror against the opposition,” the source said.

No financiers

The source also clarified reports that the junior officers were being financed by certain politicians and other entities. Rumors circulated Friday that the foiled coup was financed by former Pres. Joseph Estrada who was ousted by a people power uprising in 2001. Other reports said giant network ABS CBN, which has been critical of the government, also provided money to the coup plotters.

“No funds are necessary for a coup,” the source said, “ After all, the plan was just to march along EDSA and withdraw support from the president.”

Although the source admitted that there were numerous offers, “The young idealistic officers refused any offer of (financial) support from any group because they do not want to be beholden to any group especially those who have vested interests,” the source said.

People’s support

While admitting that the loyal followers of Macapagal-Arroyo have won the battle now, the source said, the fight is not yet over. “They (the young officers) have actually become more restive,” the source said.

The source however said that the success of any military uprising depends on the support of the civilian population. “At this point, it is the people who would decide when and how to unseat the illegitimate president from the palace,” the source concluded. Bulatlat

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