Shadowy AFP group wants Estrada to quit

There’s a shadowy group of retired military and police officers who have joined the call for President Estrada’s resignation.

Calling themselves "Reveille" (which means wake-up call in French), members of a group claiming to be comprised of retired military and police officers are circulating a manifesto in Camp Aguinaldo, urging active officers of the Armed Forces to force Mr. Estrada to step down.

The manifesto is addressed to Armed Forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Panfilo Lacson.

"Help us in our quest for President Estrada to resign!" read the manifesto. "Help us restore decency in the Presidency. The Presidency is not a reformatory school. Help us restore our respected place in the community of nations. Help us regain our declining economy which we have considerably lost."

Members of "Reveille" called on soldiers and policemen to "allow the people’s voice to prevail," and to remain neutral and not to allow the administration to use them in the present political crisis.

"We appeal to you to respect the democratic rights of our people to undertake these gigantic mass actions against the corrupt Estrada presidency," read the manifesto. "The time has come to effect the change, our people have spoken, these they now translate into the parliament of the streets to be heard loud and clear."

In another development, Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado has asked Justice Secretary Artemio Tuquero to investigate and possibly prosecute retired Lt. Gen. Fortunato Abat after he called on other active military officers to force the President to resign.

"(Abat’s action) is clearly an incitement for the active members of the AFP to take action against the President to pressure him to resign," he said.

Abat has rejected Mr. Estrada’s request that he shut up and vowed to continue expressing his views on issues which he believes are of national concern.

"As much as ordinary citizens have the right to publicly express their views, we the retired generals also have this right to do the same," he said.

Abat was a former commander of the Army, and he was secretary of national defense under the administration of former President Fidel Ramos, who is also a retired general.

Mercado said he had asked for the justice secretary’s opinion on the "appropriate action that could be taken" against the people behind the manifesto.

"More particularly, we would like to request the DOJ to look into the criminal statutes that may have been violated by the persons responsible for this manifesto," he said.

Mercado told Tuquero that he had been holding dialogues with military officers and enlisted personnel in connection with the political crisis gripping the country.

"I have repeatedly enjoined the men and women of the AFP to respect the Constitution and leave the politicking to politicians," he said.

Mercado said the Armed Forces leadership has already declared its commitment to the Constitution and to respect the outcome of the impeachment trial of President Estrada.

At Camp Crame, the chief of the PNP Community Relations Group (CRG) has refused to obey an order of Lacson relieving him of his command.

Chief Superintendent Steven Cudal told reporters yesterday "some ranking PNP officials are capitalizing" on what he described as "trumped-up charges" against him, which are pending at the Sandiganbayan.

"I cannot accept this relief order," he said. " I will fight for my right. This is a complete denial of due process. I will ask the intervention of the court. I am lawyer and I know my law."

Lacson named Senior Superintendent Nelson Estares yesterday as officer-in-charge of the CRG, the unit which handles the PNP’s public relations.

On another front, the chairman of the Association of Generals and Flag Officers (AGFO) cautioned Malacañang yesterday against belittling the influence of retired generals on military officers in the active service.

Retired Brig. Gen. Ernesto Gidaya, AGFO chairman, said he was superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy from 1972 to 1976.

"I’ve graduated four PMA classes and they are now in responsible positions," he said.

AGFO is comprised of 631 generals, more than one third of whom are still in active service in the Armed Forces and the PNP. – With reports from Jaime Laude, Mayen Jaymalin, Delon Porcalla