However, there should be no surprise if Mrs. Arroyo will appoint a military or police man to the defense post. After all, the appointee will be enlisted into a familiar territory: a cabinet packed with former generals. The president will appoint a defense chief who will carry out basically the major expectations demanded of the post. These include, making sure that the AFP and police systems remain loyal to the chief executive; a modernization program which is being implemented with the U.S. government; a “counter-terrorism” campaign which aggressively targets suspected legal and vulnerable political infrastructures of the militant mass movement and progressive political parties; and directing all such efforts under the coherent framework of U.S.-Philippine security cooperation.
The new defense chief is also expected to play a major role in supporting the concentration of political power under the chief executive and her political allies now that the congressional elections are just a few months away. In this enterprise, he – unlike Cruz – is expected to be nothing less than a team player, come hell or high water.
Likewise, he should be able to thwart further coup plots and “instabilities” supposedly fomented by disgruntled former generals and active junior officers. This pre-emptive function is to be pursued by rallying the military, police and paramilitary forces behind the counter-insurgency campaign.
And, by the way, he should also be ready to serve as the shock absorber for the president who faces an increasingly worldwide condemnation sparked by reports of extra-judicial executions, enforced disappearances and other human rights violations widely believed to be perpetrated by government security forces and “special secret missions.” Center for People Empower in Governance/Posted by (Bulatlat.com)
They include: Gen. Eduardo Ermita, executive secretary and former Marcos colonel; Gen. Angelo Reyes, environment and natural resources secretary; Police Director General Leandro Mendoza, transportation and communications secretary; Police Director General Hermogenes Ebdane, public works secretary; Gen. Roy Cimatu, special ambassador to the Middle East; Gen. Benjamin Defensor, ambassador-at-large for counter-terrorism; Gen. Narciso Abaya, president of the Bases Conversion Development Authority; Gen. Efren Abu, special envoy to the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area; Police Director General Edgardo Aglipay, chief of the Philippine Retirement Authority; Police Director General Arturo Lomibao, administrator of the National Irrigation Administration; Gen. Pedro Cabuay, deputy for counter-insurgency of the National Security Council; Gen. Ernesto de Leon, ambassador to Australia; Gen. Honesto Isleta, presidential assistant on strategic information; Police Director General Roberto Lastimoso, MRTC director; Gen. Dionisio Santiago, Dangerous Drugs Board; Glenn Rabonza, Office of Civil Defense executive director; Angel Atutubo, MIAA assistant general manager for security; Thelmo Cunanan, SSS chairman; Edgardo Espinosa, MECO managing director; Florencio Fianza, Philippine Racing Commission acting chair; Reynaldo Berroya, transportation assistant secretary; Enrique Galang, Bureau of Immigration executive director. Others recently appointed are: Edgardo Espinosa, Enrique Galang, Vidal Querol, Pedro Bulaong and Thompson Lantion. Immediate past AFP chief of staff, Gen. Genoroso Senga, has been groomed as president of the government TV National Broadcasting Network (NBN). Recently-retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, tagged as the “butcher” of activists, has received three government offers. If Senga and Palparan are on board, the total number of generals in the Arroyo cabinet and other key agencies will be 29. ( Based on reports by Philippine Daily Inquirer, Nov. 12, 2006; and Bulatlat.com, “Is the Country now Ruled by a Civilian-Military Junta?” Sept. 17-23, 2006 .)
The defense secretaries with absolute civilian background during this period were: Teofilo Sison (who served in 1939-1941, a teacher who became a senator); Tomas Cabili (1945, lawyer); Alfredo Montelibano (banker/landlord, 1945-1946); Ramon Magsaysay (1950-1954, engineer); Oscar T. Castelo (1953, judge); Sotero B. Cabahug (1954-1956, lawyer); Ferdinand Marcos (1965-1967, 1971-1972, lawyer who became president); and Juan Ponce Enrile (1970-1971 then 1972-1986, lawyer).
The defense secretaries with military or constabulary experience were: Jorge B. Vargas (1941, also a lawyer-businessman); Basilio Valdes (1941-1945, also a physician); Ruperto K. Kangleon (1946-1950); Eulogio Balao (1956-1957); Jesus M. Vargas (1957-1959); Alejo Santos (1959-1961); Macario Peralta (1962-1965, also a lawyer); and Ernesto S. Mata (1967-1970).
*The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) is a public policy center established shortly before the May 2004 elections to help promote people empowerment in governance specially the democratic representation of the marginalized poor.
