Esperon confirmation deferred

The confirmation of Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon’s four-star rank was withheld after he failed to attend a hearing of the Commission on Appointments yesterday.

Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo, chairman of the CA committee on national defense, said Esperon will not be included in today’s plenary approval of some 51 military officers, ranks ranging from colonel to major general.

Esperon had to attend yesterday the burial of retired Armed Forces chief Gen. Joselin Nazareno, where military tradition requires his presence. He assured the CA that he will attend its next hearing.

Scheduled to question Esperon’s promotion were retired Maj. Gen. Francisco Gudani, Col. Alexander Balutan, jueteng whistleblower Michaelangelo Zuce and a Cotobato-based election officer.

Gudani and Balutan would have led the panel of witnesses who would block Esperon’s appointment for his alleged role in boosting President Arroyo’s victory in the May 2004 elections.

Allegations of fraud in the last elections cropped up since last year after details of the wiretapped conversation between former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and Mrs. Arroyo — also known as the "Hello Garci" controversy — surfaced.

Esperon’s name was mentioned in the "Hello Garci" tapes, which caused massive demoralization among the ranks at the Armed Forces.

It prompted Gudani and Balutan to expose the alleged cheating in the 2004 elections.

The two military officers had testified before the Senate committee on national defense led by Sen. Rodolfo Biazon that conducted the inquiry on the "Hello Garci" wiretapping controversy.

Senate President Manuel Villar, CA chairman, will lead the confirmation of promotions of 51 military officers led by Major Generals Pedrito Cadungog and Juanito Cabayao Jr. today.

Meanwhile, retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan failed to show up before a scheduled hearing of the Melo Commission yesterday.

Led by retired Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo, the five-member panel investigating the recent spate of extrajudicial killings was forced to postpone the hearing.

In a phone interview, Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño, a panel member, said Palparan did not show up despite a summons because he was reportedly "unavailable."

The hearings will resume when Palparan, former Army 7th infantry division commander, shows up.

General counsel Rogelio Vinluan said the Melo Commission does not have the power to cite anyone in contempt should they fail to appear before the body.

But Melo said those who would snub the panel’s invitation "face public judgment."

Appearing before the Melo Commission on Monday, Esperon said an informal investigation conducted by the military brass found nothing that could be attributed to Palparan on the cases of extrajudicial killing of left-wing activists.

"We did not conduct formal investigations due to the lack of formal complaints." he said. "That is why we have been encouraging people to come out and file the formal charges so that we could have a basis for formal investigations."

In the wake of the killings, the military has conducted its own probe to satisfy questions on the alleged involvement of some military officials and personnel in the killings, he added.

Esperon said that while Palparan had been accused as the mastermind of the killings, nobody has filed formal charges against him. — Christina Mendez, James Mananghaya