Gagged admiral refuses to stay gagged

Rear Admiral Angue has mentioned the name of MGen Gaudencio S. Pangilinan Jr as one of those who engaged in politicking in the 2010 elections and is a beneficiary of favors under this new administration. Pangilinan also served Gloria Arroyo very, very well.

Angue, decrying new assignment as a demotion, goes to media

by Victor Reyes

Rear Adm. Feliciano Angue, who has alleged that senior AFP officers engaged in politicking in the last elections, yesterday decried his demotion to commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao from commander of the National Capital Region Command.

Angue named two senior officers who he said benefited from the manipulated promotion system of the Armed Forces, in continued defiance of an order for him to air his sentiments before the proper venue and not through media.

Angue, outgoing commander of the National Capital Region Command, said Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) chief Maj. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan and Intelligence Service of the AFP (Isafp) chief Brig. Gen. Romulo Bambao have questionable credentials.

Click here:http://www.malaya.com.ph/08182010/news1.html

“In my 32 years as an officer of the Armed Forces, this is the first time that I would be a witness to the humiliation of demotion of a flag rank or a general officer. Demotion is a severe punishment given only to erring enlisted personnel who have committed grave offenses. Why do this to me and what wrong have I done?” Angue said in a speech following the flag-raising ceremony at the NCRcom headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.

Angue first questioned his demotion during the speech and later in an interview with media.

About 200 officers and men gathered in front of the NCRcom grandstand where the flag-raising was held. A number of NCRcom assets were also lined up, including four battle tanks, for Angue’s address.

Angue’s statements prompted the Armed Forces leadership to order an investigation on Angue for violation of the military’s code of ethics, noting his statements bordered on insubordination. Angue had been issued a gag order by AFP chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo David.

The NCRcom post is a three-star position. The Naval Forces Western Mindanao, a unit under the Western Mindanao Command, is a two-star post.

Angue’s rank is equivalent to a two-star officer (major general) in the Army.

President Aquino said Angue was not demoted. He said the re-assignment is part of an ongoing revamp in the military that started last July 1.

“We have effected most of the changes starting from July 1. This is just…parang na-delay lang iyung implementation,” Aquino said, adding he would leave explanations to David.

Herminio Coloma, Presidential Communications Operations Office secretary, said Angue should look at the bigger picture.

“We cannot allow one person’s statement to affect the entire AFP,” he said.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said Angue’s demotion might cause demoralization among soldiers.

Evardone said the issue should prompt Congress “to look into the promotions and assignment system of the AFP.”

Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, a retired Navy commander and a graduate of the US States Naval Academy, said he does not believe that Angue’s reassignment was caused by his revelation that some senior military officers who allegedly took sides in the recent elections are now reaping the fruits of their politicking by getting juicy posts.

“I guess there is a certain degree of discretion we should give to the DND (Department of National Defense) and AFP leadership,” he said. “Good traditions and professional requirements for promotion and designations should be adhered to.”

An election watchdog group, KontraDaya, asked Angue to tell all.

KontraDaya lead convenor Fr. Joe Dizon also asked Aquino to have the issues raised by Angue investigated to prove he is the exact opposite of his predecessor, now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo.

Dizon said he believes Angue’s claim about officers engaging in politicking.

“Some military officials are also political animals,” he said.

PRESIDENT’S PREROGATIVE

In his speech, Angue acknowledged that it is the prerogative of the new administration to designate a new NCRcom commander “who enjoys their trust and confidence.” Angue’s successor is Maj. Gen. Arthur Tabaquero, the outgoing chief of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division.

“As a professional soldier…I will follow, even with an unanswered question in my mind as to why I am being demoted from a three-star position to a lower position in the AFP Table of Organization,” he said.

He said it was “ironic, perhaps tragic” that his fidelity and professionalism as an officer is being doubted in spite of his reiteration to uphold law and Constitution. He also took note of how the NCRcom officers and men played a professional and neutral role in the May 10 presidential elections.

Nevertheless, he told his men that he will continue with his military career wherever he is assigned despite the demotion.

Angue said he is not scared of getting assigned in Mindanao, noting he spent a long period of his career there. His last assignment in Mindanao was as commander of the Navy Task Force 62 in Tawi-Tawi where he fought efforts to rig the results of the 2004 presidential elections.

“I have been there and I have served a long period of my career in the South….I am not going to refuse assignment in Mindanao. They should think of the farthest place where they can send me. I am not going to refuse it. I prefer (to be assigned) where the action is,” he added.

THREE-STAR POSTING

Angue later faced media members to stress he was demoted. He said he understands if the administration would relieve him as NCRcom commander, but what he was hoping for is that he would be given a similar three-star position like at the NCRcom.

As NCRcom commander, Angue was eligible for promotion to the rank of vice admiral.

The new assignment given to Angue is a two-star post, therefore, he cannot be promoted in rank. Worse, the post given to Angue is under the military’s Western Mindanao Command, which is a counterpart unified area command of the NCRcom.

Angue also questioned why he was not recommended for promotion to a three-star rank when the election ban on promotion ended July 1. He said there is vacancy for a three-star rank and that only two of the three three-star slots reserved for the Navy are filled up.

WHAT LATERAL MOVEMENT?

Angue singled out AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta for saying his case re-assignment is a lateral movement.

“It’s a reduction from three-star position to two-star. What do you call that? Is it a promotion? Is it a demotion? Is it lateral?” he asked.

Angue said his movement can be considered lateral only if he is transferred to another three-star post.

“They would reduce me to a two-star position so that I cannot claim the third star, that is the case,” he said.

“Mabanta was saying a lot of things regarding this (his re-assignment), that this is not a demotion and so on and so forth. He knows that you do not know (the nuances in the AFP). But he knows very well what are the laws, what is the SOP (standard operating procedure) being followed,” he also said.

Angue surmised that President Aquino had nothing to do with his demotion, blaming instead the military leadership who he said is under the instruction of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, a former Army chief.

Angue said he has met with Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa at least twice to discuss his gripes on the promotion system in the Armed Forces. He quoted Ochoa as saying they were following recommendations from the military.

“I don’t blame the national leadership because of course they rely on the recommendations and the explanations of those below them. I understand them but they were misled (by the military leadership) as you (media) were (being misled),” he said.

RE-ASSIGNMENT FOR AFP CHIEF?

Angue asked Mabanta if it would be alright for the AFP chief to be re-assigned to a unified area command – a three-star post.

The post of AFP chief is a four-star position although David has yet to be given his fourth star because his third star is yet to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments.

Angue theorized that he was not recommended for promotion because some officers, who he said are eyeing key posts in the AFP, are maligning him and his classmates at the Philippine Military Academy Class 1978 before higher authorities.

“There is a group of officers who circulated the rumor that I was part of the group that was planning to do massive cheating (in the elections) to perpetuate GMA (President Arroyo) in power. That is what they are peddling, including to the new administration,” he said.

“Majority of them are those who are aspiring to get the top post (of AFP chief),” said Angue, adding that military bishop Leopoldo Tumulak and other officers vouched for him but to no avail.

Angue also questioned the re-assignment of a PMA classmate, 4th Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Mario Chan, as commander of the 8th ID, vice Tabaquero.

Chan’s successor at 4th ID is AFP deputy chief of staff for civil military operations Maj. Gen. Victor Felix.

Angue said Felix should have been assigned as commander of the 8th ID instead, so that Felix will only be the one to adjust to a new post.

“The most logical thing to do is you assign (Felix) to the vacated post (8th ID) so that he’ll be the only one to adjust while the other officer (Chan) will keep doing his job properly,” he said.

COURT MARTIAL

Angue said he is ready to face the consequences of his actions.

“The next thing maybe is court martial for me. They might also be thinking of firing squad for me,” he said as he justified his decision to come out again before the media despite the gag order.

Angue said he has to address the issue before the media because it was through the media the military announced his re-assignment. He said he was not given any written or verbal order informing him of his transfer.

Angue said he foresaw his relief as commander of the NCRcom. He said a “Yellow Pad Schindler’s List” prepared even before Aquino took his oath as president showed he is to be “stricken out” or replaced.

Angue said this shows that members of the Board of Generals, which is supposed to be deliberating on the promotions and designations of senior officers, are not meeting, implying that board members are submitting to the wishes of Gazmin.

Angue said he has not spoken to the AFP chief to discuss his sentiments on the promotion system because David has not summoned him to his office.

“I cannot go there unless I am called. He is the commander. I cannot demand that he talk to me. If he feels that he has to talk to me, he has to iron things out, he should summon me,” said Angue. “The commander should have the courage to face his men.”

MILITARY PROBE

Mabanta said the investigation ordered by military leadership on Angue for possible breach of military discipline will not affect Angue’s assumption of his new post.

He said the investigation is being conducted by the office of the AFP Judge Advocate General. The JAGO will determine the available options, including trial by court martial, reprimand or censure.

“The statements of Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue were uncalled for. We view such statements as bordering on insubordination and violation of AFP Code of Ethics…in the airing of grievances through tri-media, destroying the image of the AFP,” said Mabanta.

He said Angue knows that complains should be coursed through the military’s grievance system.

Angue said that if the discontent in the promotion system persists, the possibility of military adventurism will be there. He again said the prostitution of the promotion system gave birth to the Reform the Armed Forces Movement during the Marcos dictatorship.

Nevertheless, he said he would not support such destabilization moves. “I would still tell them that is not the way to do it (institute reforms). The best way to do it is this. I am hoping that the new leadership of the country would listen to this,” he said.

‘BRIEFING’

On the politicking officers who now have juicy posts in the AFP, Angue said he does not have to name them.

“That should not necessarily come from me. If the Armed Forces has the will, it should have initiated already (an investigation),” he said.

He told investigators to start from a recent statement of presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda who said a group of senior officers approached the Aquino camp during the election period to brief them about the supposed plans of members of PMA Class `78 to prolong then President Arroyo’s hold on power.

Arroyo is an honorary member of the class.

Angue said there was no such plan.

“The explanation of spokesman Lacierda is that what they (officers) did was, well, for the good of the country,” he said.

“The first question is who gave them the authority to go to the camp of the winnable candidate and brief them? Who gave them the authority? None,” said Angue, adding that then AFP chief Gen. Delfin Bangit thought of relieving these officers.

Angue that if the officers wanted to be fair, they should have also briefed the other presidential candidates.

“They did not (brief the other candidates) so what does that mean? You are partisan…So do I have to say anything more?” Angue said. – With Jocelyn Montemayor, Wendell Vigilia and Gerard Naval