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I’m Ellen Tordesillas, a journalist.

I will be posting in this blog my columns in Malaya, articles by VERA Files, as well as materials relevant to strengthening democracy and making life worth living.

Malaya is a daily (except Sunday) newspaper in English that has a courageous history in the Filipinos' fight against tyranny.

VERA Files is composed of veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues.

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Ellen
E-mail: ellentordesillas {at} gmail {dot} com

Tag: Victor Ibrado

Arroyo’s dream team

Published by Ellen on May 17, 2009

A well-placed source in the Arroyo administration told us there would be movements in the next few weeks in the mid-level of the military that would compel a three-star general to move out of his area command a month before his retirement.

The source said the movement is apparently towards putting in place Arroyo’s dream team that would help her implement her no-exit plan in 2010.

The information we got is that Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga will be turning over the Western Mindanao Command to Lt. Gen. Ben Dolorfino, currently the Marines commandant, sooner than his (Allaga) July 16, 2009 retirement.

Yano being pushed out?

Published by Ellen on April 23, 2009

Related stories in Malaya:

Yano, Luna nominated for ambassadorial posts

AFP chief leaving ahead of retirement

Yesterday, text messages went around that the turnover rites of outgoing AFP Chief Alexander Yano to incoming AFP Victor Ibrado will be on May 1, 44 days earlier than his scheduled retirement of June 13.

We also got information that Yano’s vice chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna, who will retiring in September this year, will also be retiring on May 1.

It is not unusual for the turnover rites for the AFP chief to be held a few days before the end of term of outgoing chief but one-and-a-half months early? That’s tantamount to shortening a military officer’s term of service. In Gloria Arroyo’s senseless revolving door policy, that’s good for one full term of an AFP chief.