Retired police generals form pro-Arroyo group

If Poe has AGPOE and Ping has AGPING, Gloria now has AGGLO.

Some 7,000 retired generals have reportedly pledged their support for the candidacy of President Arroyo in seeking a full six-year term in May.

Guillermo Domondon, board director and concurrent president of the Philippine National Police Retirees Association Inc. (PRAI), told The STAR yesterday that they have informally called their group the Association of Retired Police Generals for Gloria or AGGLO.

AGGLO apparently follows the acronyms of groups of retired generals that have expressed support for other presidential contenders.

Retired military and police officials who are supporting the President’s chief rival, opposition standard-bearer Fernando Poe Jr., call themselves AGPOE or the Association of Generals for Poe. Independent opposition candidate Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson is being backed by the Association of Generals for Ping (AGPING).

For Domondon, the principles of Mrs. Arroyo, standard-bearer of the Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan para sa Kinabukasan (K-4) were what made them support her bid.

"We believe in her integrity," said Domondon, who also heads the Association of Chiefs of Police of the Philippines Inc. (ACPPI), which earlier vowed to remain apolitical.

The ACPPI is led by PNP chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr.

Domondon also proudly showed a photograph of retired generals with the President in Malacañang taken last March 31 when the new set of officers and board directors took their oath of office.

Domondon made it clear, however, that him being part of AGGLO is different from his being ACPPI board member.

He said there is nothing wrong if the PRAI openly expresses support for the President, citing other groups of retired military and police officials which have candidly backed Poe and Lacson.

According to Domondon, there are a total of 26,000 full retirees at the PNP alone who have been left in the dark by the PNP leadership after failing to give their adjustment pay for their benefits from year 1991 to 1999.

Meanwhile, as support for Mrs. Arroyo’s candidacy continues to gain ground, the administration coalition admitted yesterday it has been receiving numerous "defection" feelers from top KNP officials in the provinces nationwide.

K-4 secretary-general Gabriel Claudio believes the looming defections have something to do with the dimming hopes for a possible unification between Poe and Lacson.

"We, indeed, have been receiving many feelers from KNP people who want to defect to the administration," Claudio said. "However, we want them to make up their minds first before we make any move to welcome them."

He did not name the supposed defectors.

"I think it is related to the failure of the FPJ-Ping unification talks, on the one hand, and President Arroyo’s unmistakable surge in her campaign for her program of government, on the other," the K-4 official said.

Talks aimed at unifying the opposition to beat the President did not push through anew the other day reportedly due to conflicting schedules of Poe and Lacson. Both are firmly against withdrawing from the race or sliding down to being a vice presidential contender.

The President said she welcomes a merger, saying this would result in a clearer comparison between the opposition, which she accuses of political mudslinging and having no concrete platform, and the administration, which according to her engages in a "civilized and decent campaign."

Claudio said the surveys "confirm growing public support" for the K-4’s party platform and program of governance.

In the latest survey of independent pollster Pulse Asia, Mrs. Arroyo’s ratings gained what the K-4 described as a "statistically significant" three percentage point lead over Poe. The Social Weather Stations has also come out with a survey showing a surge in the President’s net satisfaction rating — from negative three percent in November to 30 percent in March,