Reyes raps Army brass over anti-insurgency troops

Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes demanded yesterday an explanation on why Army chief Lt. Gen. Jaime de los Santos and Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan proposed to hire some 20,000 soldiers to deal with what was described as a "crisis of insurgency."

In a memorandum to AFP chief of staff Gen. Diomedio Villanueva, Reyes demanded an explanation, within 48 hours, why the two generals’ made "policy statements" without his knowledge nor his authorization.

"It is disturbing, if the statements were accurately attributed to them, because it indicates... an excess of authority on their part to take positions on matters, which I would like to presume they know, are policy in nature and are clearly and appropriately reserved for the Secretary of National Defense," Reyes wrote.

The defense chief also ordered Villanueva to take "appropriate measures" to warn "those under your command to refrain from making statements that pertain to policy."

"They should stick to the facts if they have to make press statements, and avoid extrapolating implications or concrete positions and recommendations as to the corresponding policy actions to be undertaken," he added.

Adan said on Saturday that he found it "funny" that "we have some 25,000 rebels in our midst and we still do not regard (it as) an emergency situation."

Adan also blamed Congress for failing to pass a law that would allow the authorities to freeze the assets of rebels and of stricter security and anti-subversion measures.

The following day, De los Santos said "we are having a crisis of insurgency" and asked for congressional authorization to recruit 20,000 more troops, or 40 new battalions, to combat "threat groups that have become active at the same time."

Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said that while the Chief Executive fully supports the military, the Army’s request would have to be closely evaluated since the government’s budget for next year has already been submitted to Congress.

"That is their assessment of their number and the growth of the insurgency. They would have to match the number of soldiers to the number of insurgents," Tiglao said.

According to Adan, the Army has some 68,000 infantrymen and wants to boost its number to 88,000 to combat guerrilla forces estimated to be 25,000-strong.

The soldier-to-rebel ratio would thus be around three soldiers for every rebel and the military contends that that would not be enough to crush threat groups that are continually growing and have become active at the same time.

"The ratio is not ideal. The ratio is too low... The ideal ratio would be anywhere from eight (soldiers) to one (rebel) to 10 to one," Adan told reporters.

However, Adan conceded that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) would need an additional budget of about P3.5 billion every year.

"If there is any increase in troop level, it would have to be made in next year’s budget," Tiglao said, adding that the President and the Departments of Budget and Management (DBM) and Finance (DOF) may also decide to submit a supplemental budget, if needed.

Crisis during budget hearings

But Senate President Franklin Drilon scoffed at the Army chief’s proposal and slammed Adan for blaming Congress for the military’s failure to deal with the insurgency situation.

Drilon asked that more proof be submitted to the Senate, which is now deliberating on the 2002 General Appropriations Act, that there is really a need for more troops and that the military is not simply wangling to get a higher budget.

"I don’t know what another 20,000 will do," Drilon said a day after he slammed Adan for blaming Congress for the military’s own failure to address the insurgency situation.

He said "we almost have the entire Armed Forces" fighting the Abu Sayyaf group, which is still holding two Americans and one Filipina, but when they cornered the bandits and their hostages in a small town in Sulu, the bandits still managed to slip away.

"Every time there is a budget hearing, there is an insurgency crisis," said the Senate president, suggesting the military high command is using scare tactics to force Congress to increase the military’s budget.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Lakas) also opposed the Army proposal to recruit more soldiers.

Barbers said the House of Representatives had already approved some P1.133 billion for the military’s plan to hire 10,000 militiamen, called Citizens’ Armed Force Geographical Units (CAFGUs), next year.

He said the military’s grumbling that it lacks soldiers to fight rebels was only a way of deflecting criticism and growing public impatience over its failure to crush the Abu Sayyaf despite millions of pesos spent for the purpose.

"In effect, the line it wants to propagate is that it can’t defeat the 78 members of the Abu Sayyaf because the more than 100,000 men under its command and its foreign military advisers are not enough," Barbers said.

He said that of all government agencies, the defense establishment received the biggest increase in the budget bill the House passed recently.

The defense outlay jumped from P54.7 billion this year to P69.8 billion next year, or an increase of 27.8 percent, he said. – With reports from Jess Diaz, Marichu Villanueva, Christina Mendez