Why the sudden haste for AFP Chief of Staff Alex Yano to abandon the AFP Top post on May 1? Yano is retiring one month early to give way to new AFP Chief of Staff Ibrado. As I said in my previous post, Ibrado is just a bogey to allow Mrs. Arroyo's hatchet man, Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit to assume the top command in the May 2010. Ibrado will also retire one month early, on February 2010 to allow Bangit to assume full control of the military during the 2010 elections.
Why Bangit as AFP Chief of Staff in 2010? Two reasons: First, to take an active part in the administration victory in 2010 and two, to assume top command in the event of a declaration of a State of Emergency or worst, martial rule should a failure of elections happen.
Bangit is this administration's final option for a term extension.
As we speak, Yano is preparing for his "graceful" exit from the military to an ambassadorial post in Brunei Darussalam. Yano will be joining the growing ranks of ex-military men in the bureaucracy.
Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro said that Yano will be a fitting member of the diplomatic corps and will serve as a crucial cog of the government panel in negotiations with Brunei Darussalam.
What Teodoro is NOT saying is this---Yano opted to retire early to save face. After Teodoro's announcement of Ibrado's appointment, Yano became a "lame duck". Projects and plans are not submitted to Yano's office anymore. Poor Yano. The professional soldier has been politicized.
Showing posts with label lt. general ibrado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lt. general ibrado. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Ibrado as AFP Chief to succeed Yano
Lt. General Ibrado's appointment as successor to AFP Chief of Staff Alex Yano is a political masterstroke. Ibrado is a bunkmate of Yano and a brilliant professional soldier, member of PMA Class 1976. By not appointing a PMA 1978 just yet (in the person of Gen. Delfin Bangit), the Arroyo administration averted what could possibly trigger disillusionment among the ranks. The early announcement of Ibrado was also a very deft move. It avoided the costly war among PMAers who are intending to get the top AFP plum.
However, what is significant is Ibrado will only serve until March 10, 2010 or two months prior to the elections. This is alarming. True, Teodoro and Mrs. Arroyo wanted to avoid those PMAers jockeying for the AFP post NOW but actually triggered a very long and protracted AFP C-S post jockeying onward until 2010.
Meaning, from June 2009 to March 2010, top generals, especially those with AFP C-S ambitions, will make themselves open especially to the appointing power, Mrs. Arroyo. And we all know who secured the victory of Mrs. Arroyo in 2004---it was the Generals.
By appointing Ibrado, Mrs. Arroyo just secured the loyalties of PMA Class 1977, 1978 and even 1979--all three PMA classes-- who have generals in the AFP.
Likewise, it allowed Mrs. Arroyo to effectively control the entire Philippine Army, the largest branch of the AFP, thru her factotum, the very controversial Bangit. Bangit, as you will remember, hosted a lavish party when he was the ISAFP chief. He even threw huge sums of money, all 1,000 peso bills, like an "emperor", his codename.
Like an "emperor", Bangit is expected to instill dogged discipline among the ranks. He's preparing for the hard task ahead as Mrs. Arroyo's last AFP chief in 2010. That task, says some very suspicious and malicious tongues, involve securing the victories of administration-backed candidates in 2010. Or, worst, securing the second-generation conjugal dictatorship when it ushers a totally different political system come 2010.
Of course, Mrs. Arroyo and her minions already pre-planned everything. But, as they say, the political and economic climate is sooo fluid right now, anything can happen. Except, of course, if the Games of the Generals changes tack very soon.
However, what is significant is Ibrado will only serve until March 10, 2010 or two months prior to the elections. This is alarming. True, Teodoro and Mrs. Arroyo wanted to avoid those PMAers jockeying for the AFP post NOW but actually triggered a very long and protracted AFP C-S post jockeying onward until 2010.
Meaning, from June 2009 to March 2010, top generals, especially those with AFP C-S ambitions, will make themselves open especially to the appointing power, Mrs. Arroyo. And we all know who secured the victory of Mrs. Arroyo in 2004---it was the Generals.
By appointing Ibrado, Mrs. Arroyo just secured the loyalties of PMA Class 1977, 1978 and even 1979--all three PMA classes-- who have generals in the AFP.
Likewise, it allowed Mrs. Arroyo to effectively control the entire Philippine Army, the largest branch of the AFP, thru her factotum, the very controversial Bangit. Bangit, as you will remember, hosted a lavish party when he was the ISAFP chief. He even threw huge sums of money, all 1,000 peso bills, like an "emperor", his codename.
Like an "emperor", Bangit is expected to instill dogged discipline among the ranks. He's preparing for the hard task ahead as Mrs. Arroyo's last AFP chief in 2010. That task, says some very suspicious and malicious tongues, involve securing the victories of administration-backed candidates in 2010. Or, worst, securing the second-generation conjugal dictatorship when it ushers a totally different political system come 2010.
Of course, Mrs. Arroyo and her minions already pre-planned everything. But, as they say, the political and economic climate is sooo fluid right now, anything can happen. Except, of course, if the Games of the Generals changes tack very soon.
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