MANILA, Philippines - A major reorganization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is imminent, with top positions in the military – from AFP chief down to the commanders of major units – expected to be affected, a military spokesman said yesterday.
“There are going to be major changes in the military leadership and key military field units of the Armed Forces,” said Lt. Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos, chief of the AFP Public Information Office.
Burgos issued this statement in the wake of pronouncements made by AFP chief of staff Gen. Delfin Bangit that he would opt for early retirement after president-elect Benigno Aquino III indicated that he would not retain the top military commander.
Aside from Bangit, the positions of AFP vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Nestor Ochoa, AFP deputy chief of staff Rear Admiral Mario Catacutan and Navy chief Rear Admiral Danilo Cortez will be deemed vacant once the new administration takes over because they are occupying their posts only in an acting capacity.
Ochoa, Catacutan and Cortez are members of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1977, a class that played a crucial role in defending the late President Corazon Aquino from nine coup attempts.
Other members of PMA Class 1977 – Lt. Gen. Ricardo David, commander of the Northern Luzon Command based in Tarlac; Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command based in Davao City; and Ochoa – are among the top contenders to replace Bangit who belongs to PMA Class 1978.
Maj. Gen. Romeo Prestoza, chief of the Intelligence Services of the AFP (ISAFP) and also a member of PMA Class 1978, is reportedly also planning to retire early like Bangit.
Bangit’s other classmates now occupying key military positions include Army chief Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu and National Capital Regional Command commander Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue, and Marine commandant Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban.
The Philippine Air Force is currently under the command of Lt. Gen. Oscar Rabena.
“Once the new (AFP) chief of staff is installed this will trigger major movements that would create vacancies from top down,” a military officer said.
Burgos said filling the vacancies would not be a problem because there is a rule of succession in the AFP.
“We have procedures. We have systems in place. We believe it’s based on factors like competence, merit. Seniority is one, and service reputation is another,” Burgos said.
Burgos admitted that the new commander-in-chief would make the final decisions on the reorganization of the AFP.
Meanwhile, Bangit continued yesterday his farewell calls on troops as he stressed the need to maintain professionalism in the military service.
Burgos said Bangit made farewell visits to the 9th Infantry Division based in Pili, Camarines Sur and the 803rd Infantry Brigade at Catarman, Northern Samar.
“The chief of staff continued his farewell visits and his objective is to revisit the areas that contributed his growth in the armed forces,” Burgos said in a press briefing yesterday.
During his visit to troops in Camarines Sur, Bangit narrated his experiences as a captain who saw action against the communist rebels in the town of Nabua.
“As a young company commander, I already realized that the communist insurgency could not be solved by armed combat alone. The best antidote to the insurgency problem is to address its root cause, poverty. This can be addressed through good governance,” he said.
“My request for the AFP is to make it more professional. We fight for our country, for our institution, for the people.”
Bangit also inspected the eight-room women’s quarters and a power generator house, which will supply electricity to the 9th Infantry Division headquarters.
Bangit then proceeded to the 803rd Infantry Brigade, where he once served as platoon leader and staff officer of the 19th Infantry Battalion.
SC tackles Bangit’s case
A Supreme Court official clarified yesterday that the justices are set to rule on the petition seeking the nullification of the appointment of Armed Forces chief Bangit despite his plan to retire early to escape being dismissed by president-elect Aquino.
SC spokesman and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said the Court had started discussions on the petition filed by the Philippine Bar Association (PBA), headed by former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo, seeking to nullify the appointment of Bangit and two other top military officers – Mapagu and Angue – that allegedly violated the constitutional ban on midnight appointments.
Marquez told a press conference that Chief Justice Renato Corona presided yesterday over the first full Court session that tackled Bangit’s case.
“The Court requires petitioner (PBA) to submit reply on the comment of the respondents filed through Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) before it submits the case for resolution,” he explained.
He said the PBA was given 10 days to comply with the order.
The OSG, in its comment, defended the appointments and argued that there was no violation of the Charter because Bangit and the two others were appointed before the midnight appointments ban took effect.
In a petition filed last May 4, the PBA alleged that the promotion of Bangit and the two other officials violated the ban on midnight appointments under Article VII Section 15 of the Constitution.
“According to the express provision of the Constitution, the two-month period prior to the May 10, 2010 presidential elections falls on March 10, 2010. Bangit was permanently appointed and assumed the office of AFP chief of staff after the retirement of Gen. (Victor) Ibrado from military service effective midnight of March 10, 2010,” the PBA said.
PBA president Marcelo said Mapagu and Angue were appointed last March 12 and 13, respectively, and thus violated the ban on midnight appointments.
“It is a basic precept of law that no one may be appointed to an office which is not vacant. There can be no appointment to a non-vacant position and the incumbent must first be legally removed or his appointment validly terminated before any appointment is made,” PBA said.
PBA also explained that the appointments violated Executive Order 292 (Administrative Code), which designates the vice chief of staff of the AFP in the absence of a duly appointed chief of staff, and Comelec Resolution 8737, which prohibits promotions in civil service from Jan. 10 to June 9 without prior authorization from the poll body.
The group also questioned the qualification of Bangit, considering what they described as “his well-documented close partisan ties with Arroyo, thereby placing his capability for independent judgment in serious question.”
“The PBA is not questioning the competence of Bangit or his service record. Rather, by filing the petition, PBA intends to defend the rule of law and remove any cloud of doubt that may be cast on the nonpartisan and professional character of the AFP as a result of the questioned appointments,” they stressed.
They told the Court that Bangit was senior security aide of Mrs. Arroyo when she was still vice president and he also served as group commander of Presidential Security Group from February 2003 to September 2007 and chief of Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces from August 2006 to September 2007 when she was already president.
“Bangit’s extremely close ties with Arroyo are readily apparent upon reviewing his profile as commanding general of the Philippine Army,” PBA said. With Edu Punay - By Jaime Laude
