Ramos pushed as defense chief anew

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. called on Malacañang yesterday to appoint former President Fidel Ramos again as secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND).

Other lawmakers like Sen. Edgardo Angara warned President Arroyo should not go out of her way to please and appease a restive military by appointing a former military officer to the defense portfolio.

"The new defense secretary should be a civilian. If he had rendered military service, certain requirements must be met," Angara said.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, for his part, warned Mrs. Arroyo that her concurrent capacity as DND secretary should not last long since the burden of being the chief executive while being the defense chief will be too much for her to handle.

"I will ask the President, probably over the weekend, who would she appoint as Defense Secretary," Biazon said.

Biazon agreed with Angara who said the next DND secretary should come from the civilian ranks, and no military officer can be appointed to the post until three years after retirement.

He explained the move is to diminish, if not eliminate, the influence of a senior officer over the corps of generals and officers of the military.

Biazon argued that a former chief of staff or general who assumes the defense portfolio would likely "micro manage" the organization because he is quite familiar with of the officer corps as well as the procedures.

Biazon, former Armed Forces chief, proposed former defense chiefs Renato de Villa and Lisandro Abadia, Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Eduardo Ermita, Ambassador Roy Cimatu and National Security Adviser Roilo Golez as possible candidates.

De Venecia, for his part, picked Ramos as his top choice followed by Ermita, Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. and Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, who chairs the House committee on defense.

De Venecia described his choices as "extremely capable leaders and dedicated officials."

"I salute (Reyes) for his humility. I congratulate him for his courage. Now the President must look for a capable replacement the names I mentioned are good choices," he said.

Other congressmen like Palawan Rep. Abraham Mitra also suggested Ramos and Biazon as "laudable replacements."

"As for FVR (Ramos), he is the former President, so he will command the respect of the Armed Forces," he said.

Prior to being elected as president in 1992, Ramos served as defense secretary to President Corazon Aquino from 1987.

De Venecia said Ramos’ wealth of experience and tested leadership are what the country needs to solidify the Armed Forces and repair the damage caused by the July 27 failed mutiny.

"Ultimately, the President will make the decision," De Venecia said.

"But it will be a master stroke and an act of statesmanship and humility if former President Ramos is offered the Defense portfolio and he accepts it," he added.

Ramos’ predecessor, former Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, said a defense secretary is only a supervisor over the military organization and not part of the line of command.

Enrile, a civilian who served as defense minister for 17 years during the regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, added that the position is effectively an alter ego of the President, while the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) takes the role of military adviser to the President who is the commander-in-chief.

Angara, however, underscored the need to draw up a criteria in appointing a defense secretary.

He pointed out that Mrs. Aquino’s appointment of Ramos as defense chief was viewed by many as a reward for the former Constabulary general as the leader of the coup that toppled Marcos in February 1986.

"With the same manner that President Arroyo rose to power, the appointment of Reyes as defense secretary is also viewed as another reward top a supportive general," Angara said.

Reyes was the AFP chief during the administration of former President Joseph Estrada. He withdrew his support from Estrada and gave it then Vice President Arroyo during the EDSA II uprising.

"Crafting a national security policy that will rationalize and giving proper focus, emphasis and resources behind our national security apparatus included the setting of clear parameters for the choice of a defense secretary," Angara said.

Shortly after Reyes announced his resignation Friday, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the erstwhile defense chief will be considered for "another government position" which he did not specify.

As to the who will replace Reyes, sources in Malacañang earlier disclosed that a number of candidates have already been vetted by the presidential search committee.

Cimatu topped the list of possible appointees with Philippine Postal Corp. chief Diomedio Villanueva, Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Defense senior Undersecretary Feliciano Gacis.

In his one-page resignation letter to Mrs. Arroyo, Reyes recommended Gacis as acting defense secretary.

When asked if it would be prudent for Mrs. Arroyo to offer Reyes another post, Biazon said otherwise. "If she appoints him (to another post), she has to consider if he will be a baggage or an asset to the country."

"Anyway, Reyes is bent on running for a national position," Biazon added.

Reyes said the primary reason for his resigning from the post is to allow Mrs. Arroyo a free hand to deal with the situation generated by July 27 mutiny which was staged by over 300 officers and men demanding for his resignation.

Reyes said he had become the target of vicious personal attacks that were painful but tolerable, but he was stepping down because of efforts to undercut the democratic processes in the country, putting into shame and dividing the AFP.

During the July 27 mutiny, Reyes rallied the AFP behind Mrs. Arroyo to frustrate the rebellion staged by the soldiers who called themselves the Magdalo faction. The mutineers gave up after 22 hours of negotiations.

The rogue soldiers accused Reyes of corruption and masterminding the Davao City bombings early this year to get US anti-terrorism funding.

They also accused Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) chief Brig. Gen. Victor Corpus of complicity in the bombings.

He strongly denied the allegations, but the charges hounded him.

He went to Malacañang earlier Friday to tender his resignation to Mrs. Arroyo before publicly announcing that he was quitting.

Reyes ended up being the second political casualty generated by the military mutiny against the Arroyo administration. He resigned 30 days after Corpus quit his post ISAFP chief. - With James Mananghaya