GMA allies say Biazon fueling military adventurism

Two pro-administration lawmakers accused Sen. Rodolfo Biazon yesterday of "adding more fuel" to the sentiments of rebel soldiers.

Representatives Antonio Cuenco of Cebu City and Douglas Cagas of Davao del Sur said the statements of Biazon, a retired Armed Forces chief, are making him appear like the rebels’ acting "spokesman."

Cuenco asked Biazon to "stop speculating on a coup attempt and instead cooperate with the AFP on information he gathers."

"He should be the one to exercise caution," he said.

"He read text messages from a supposedly disgruntled member of the Philippine Marines as if (these are) the real sentiment of the corps," he added.

Cuenco, chairman of the House committee on foreign affairs, defended the government warning that rebel soldiers might take advantage of the Labor Day celebration on May 1, where anti-government forces plan to infiltrate the militant crowd in the rallies.

"(It was) appropriate and necessary, especially with fugitive Magdalo officer Lt. Sonny Sarmiento’s prior threat that they will strike anytime," he said.

"Biazon should stop shielding these rebel soldiers by dismissing the coup threat as non-existent."

Cagas said Biazon’s advice for Malacañang to "go slow on talk of a May Day coup further made him appear like the spokesman for adventurist soldiers."

"It is the duty of the AFP to protect the people and the state, hence, the organization cannot take lightly information or report of destabilization and coup attempt on May 1," he said.

It is the military’s task to ascertain and deal with all coup threats, he added.

Government officials suggested that Congress amend the decades-old Articles of War to keep it attuned to the fast-changing times, following several failed mutinies by idealistic but adventurist junior military officers.

"There should now be a serious review of the role of the military in the present political landscape," Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa Ignacio told The STAR.

" It should be looked into now, it should be upgraded to include the current political temperament."

Villa Ignacio, who served from 1976-81 as legal officer of the prosecution division of the Judge Advocate General’s Office, said "changes" should definitely be introduced to the laws on coup d’etat.

Villa Ignacio, along with House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles, acknowledged that military adventurism has become one of the options soldiers want to take, following the success of military-backed uprisings in EDSA I and II.

"It has been used in both EDSAs, in 1986 to topple Marcos and in 2001 that ousted Erap, "Villa Ignacio said.

"This is because there is this insertion in the 1987 Constitution that the military is the protector of the people. That is the role they are playing now.

"It’s too big a role for them to decide. They should not even be making that decision."

It is very high risk for the government and the public who will be caught in the crossfire, since only the military and police carry firearms, Villa Ignacio said.

Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles, who is also a lawyer, agreed with Villa Ignacio’s observations, although he conceded that he is not well-versed on the decades-old Articles of War, which enumerates penalties for rebel soldiers out to topple a duly-constituted government.

He also hinted that changes could be effected once the government’s plan to amend the Constitution takes place, either through a constituent assembly or people’s initiative.

"They should be apolitical," he said.

"They are there to maintain peace and order. They should never involve themselves in political affairs of the state. They can’t be saviors of the people that if they think they could come to the aid, they will do it."

Nograles said there should also be enough of the so-called messianic complex of some misguided soldiers.

"Their role should be limited to protector of the state from external and internal aggression," he said. "Do we want a military junta? Forget it!"