This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 50, January 29-February 4, 2006
Analysis
Politicization of
the AFP
The problem
with the AFP and PNP is not its politicization. The problem is that it is being
used for the wrong ends.
By BENJIE OLIVEROS
The escape of Captain Nicanor Faeldon on Dec. 14, and Capt. Nathaniel Rabonza
and 1st Lts. Lawrence San Juan, Sonny Sarmiento and Patricio Bumindang on Jan.
17, sparked rumors of a brewing coup d’etat. Faeldon and the Oakwood mutineers
have been calling on the Filipino people, including on other men and women in
uniform, to remove President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from Malacañang.
These incidents and the persistent question on the legitimacy of the Arroyo
administration compel the latter to conduct regular loyalty checks on the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). The
Arroyo administration is insecure regarding the loyalties of soldiers and police
officers in spite repeated assurances from AFP chief of staff Gen. Generoso
Senga and PNP chief Dir. Gen. Arturo Lomibao that the AFP and PNP are fully in
support of the administration. To ensure her
hold on the military, Macapagal-Arroyo appointed two controversial generals
whose loyalty to her is unquestionable: Rear Admiral Tirso Danga, military’s
intelligence chief during the period the Intelligence Service of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) was accused of wiretapping the opposition, and
Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon, who was mentioned in the “Hello Garci” tapes. The two
were appointed commanding officers of the Southern and Western Commands of the
AFP, respectively. But moves such as these, say military analysts, contribute
to the growing restlessness within the AFP, which is already smarting from
accusations of corruption and assisting Arroyo to cheat in the elections.
The Arroyo
administration is calling on the AFP and PNP members to act like “professional
soldiers” by not interfering in politics and defending the Constitution and
democracy against the “enemies of the state”. The administration blames the
so-called politicization of the AFP for the constant threats of coup d’etat.
Political and
military analysts believe it was former President Marcos who politicized the AFP
and PNP. But they were political even before Marcos. They were trained to
protect the status quo. They suppress the rights of workers for the benefit of
capitalists. They attack the struggling peasants to preserve the ownership of
big landlords, agri-businesses and multinational corporations. They repress
dissent in the name of anti-subversion and anti-communism. What Marcos
can be blamed for is that he unleashed the AFP and PNP and gave them power by
declaring martial law. During the dark days of martial law, the AFP and PNP
acted with impunity, without fear of being investigated and made to account for
their acts. It was former President Fidel Ramos, on the other hand, who started
appointing retired military and police officials to civilian positions.
The problem
with the AFP and PNP is not its politicization. The problem is that it is being
used for the wrong ends. And soldiers and police officers follow orders without
question. The good thing
about a crisis, as what the country is experiencing now, is that it awakens
people from complacency. Confusion has
seeped in even within the ranks of soldiers and police officers. Issues of
corruption and usurpation of power have reached intolerable levels. The
ventilation and exposé of issues in public make every citizen, including men and
women in uniform, think and question. The polarization is forcing everyone to
take side. The
chain-of-command is no longer sacrosanct even to the ordinary soldier. Doubts
are raised over orders, which before were followed without question. Members of the
military and police must discern who among the contending forces represent
tyranny and who represent democracy; who are fighting for selfish interests and
who are fighting for the common good. For in the
final analysis, the soldier’s loyalty should be to the Filipino people and not
to any usurper of power. Bulatlat © 2006 Bulatlat
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