Avoid partisan politics, military and police ordered

President Arroyo reminded the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday to focus on their constitutional duties of protecting the people and avoid being dragged into partisan politics.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye made the official statement by the President as he denied alleged Palace efforts to conduct loyalty checks among the ranks of the police and the military over reports that some of them are supporting opposition candidates in the 2004 elections.

"It is ridiculous to say that Malacañang is on a witch hunt for opposition supporters in the military and police," Bunye said.

"The President has ordered the AFP and the PNP to stick to the professional code and keep away from partisan politics," he added.

Bunye denied the allegations, pointing out Mrs. Arroyo is merely exercising her powers as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.

He said the AFP and the PNP are primarily tasked to discharge their duties as deputies of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure honest, orderly and peaceful elections next May.

"The drive for clean, honest and orderly elections is earnestly being pursued and our critics should join the effort and (not) fling around these baseless accusations," Bunye said.

Deputy spokesman Ricardo Saludo, for his part, belittled the support made by the Association of Generals and Flag Officers (AGFO) to actor Fernando Poe Jr. in the presidential elections next year.

Quoting a report from National Security Adviser Roilo Golez, Saludo said the support made by AGFO was not for the whole organization.

"The Office of the National Security Adviser reported that this group of support (to Poe) was just a narrow faction of the AGFO. So we’re not worried about it," Saludo said.

"Just like any other Filipinos, they (AGFO) are free to choose their own candidates to support. Our only request is they look at the track record or performance, the politics and programs and the quality of leadership of President Arroyo," he said.

A few hours after arriving from Japan where she attended the two-day ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit in Tokyo, Mrs. Arroyo renewed her call for reform and reconciliation as the only way to "heal the deep divisions" in the country.

Mrs. Arroyo told a gathering in Las Piñas yesterday where she distributed land titles to some 120 squatter families in Barangay CAA that her goal of reconciliation is between the forces that installed her in power during the EDSA II revolt and those identified with former President Joseph Estrada.

"And as Mayor Nene (Vergel) Aguilar said we must learn to forgive and forget. And this is what Nene does to his enemies. This is also what we must do," Mrs. Arroyo said.

"We need to heal the deep wounds of our nation. And this can only come true through reconciliation based on justice," she said.