Jockeying on for top AFP post

COTABATO CITY , Philippines – Various sectors in Maguindanao are rooting for Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer to become the next chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to continue his campaign of disarming local armed groups in the province.

Members of Central Mindanao’s religious, political and business communities have declared their support for Ferrer to become the next AFP chief.

There had been reports and text messages circulating that president-elect Benigno Noynoy Aquino III is likely to choose between Ferrer and Lt. Gen. Ricardo David to succeed retiring AFP chief Gen. Delfin Bangit.

Ferrer is the commander of the Armys 6th Infantry Division before he became chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom).

David, on the other hand, is the commander of the Northern Luzon Command.

“We have nothing personal against Gen. David. He is equally qualified for that post. However, it’s Gen. Ferrer that we prefer to become the next AFP chief of staff because he has long been involved in peace-building activities in Maguindanao and other Muslim-dominated provinces in Mindanao,” a school principal in Shariff Aguak said.

The school principal cited the efforts of Ferrer in containing the violence in Maguindanao following the massacre that claimed the lives of 57 people in November last year.

Ferrer became the military ruler after the government placed the province under martial law to contain and arrest the gunmen and supporters of the Ampatuan family primarily blamed for the massacre.

Shariff Aguak is the hometown of the Ampatuan clan, which once ruled Maguindanao with an iron fist and absolute intolerance for political opposition.

Ustadz Amerkhan Ahmad, an Islamic preacher, said many of his fellow missionaries working in isolated communities in Shariff Aguak and adjoining towns in the second district of the province wanted an AFP chief that has extensive knowledge of the intricacies of the socio-cultural and political settings in Muslim areas.

Ferrer studied conflict management and resolution at the Asian Institute of Management and has actively been participating, as Eastmincom chief, in various peace-building programs in Muslim communities.

He performed well as martial law administrator of Maguindanao. Escalation of violence in the province, as a possible consequence of the massacre, was averted. “We can only wish (incoming) president Aquino can give Gen. Ferrer more time to carry out his peace-building projects in the province,” said businessman Antonio Santos, former chairman of the Mindanao Business Council.

In a random survey, 26 of 30 business establishment owners in Cotabato City and Maguindanao said Ferrer could best continue the militarys effort to reconcile feuding clans in Maguindanao as AFP chief.

“He has showed people in the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) that he is not a loose cannon. He has exemplified peace-building through diplomacy in flashpoint areas in Maguindanao, where there are secessionist Muslim rebels,” Chinese-Filipino trader Chua Yu Kim said.

The names of Ferrer and David came up as the possible choices to head the military following Bangits announcement that he would take early retirement.

Aquino had earlier announced that he would not keep Bangit as head of the AFP, maintaining the appointment was illegal.

An act of courtesy

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said the decision of Bangit to go on early retirement was an act of courtesy, saying his post as AFP chief is a matter of trust by the president.

Santiago said it was proper for Bangit to offer his virtual resignation, not only as an act of courtesy but also out of respect and also an act indicative that he does not wish to stay in office longer than the confidence enjoined in him by the chief executive.

Santiago though reminded Aquino that there are exceptions to the rule, pointing out that the term of office of some officials are protected by the Civil Service Law.

Santiago noted the declarations made by Aquino that he would review the appointments made by his predecessor.

He (Aquino) could only hire and fire people who are co-terminus with him, or people who the Constitution describes are holding positions that are highly technical or policy-making or highly confidential, Santiago said.

In the case of Bangit, Aquino could indicate his wishes and the indication of the desires of the president can be taken as a moral obligation to comply, she said.

Bangit, for his part, continued his farewell tour, rallying the troops to stand united behind the incoming commander-in-chief.

Bangit also told the troops during his visit to the headquarters of the Armys 103rd Infantry Brigade in Marawi City to support the next AFP chief.

Now that I am retiring, my last instruction is & I want the Filipino soldier to obey, respect and support the new leadership. Maintain your dignity and honor by being very professional. We must unite to give honor to the new commander-in-chief and new chief of staff, Bangit told the troops.

Retiring

Two ranking Navy officers, on the other hand, will join Bangit in retirement this week.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said testimonial reviews were held yesterday to honor Rear Admiral Josefino Solidum who will retire on Friday and Commodore Efren Tedor who will bow out of service on Saturday.

Acting Navy chief Rear Admiral Danilo Cortez led the retirement honors for the two naval officers at the Navy headquarters in Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

Testimonial parades and review are the least that the Philippine Navy can do to honor its distinguished officers who have served in the military, Arevalo said.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class 76, Solidum held numerous key positions in his 33 years of naval service. He was commanding officer of the premier Coast Guard stations in Cebu and Batangas and commanded various naval ships. 

He also served as commander of the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao and the Philippine Fleet Service Force.

Solidum, who is currently the Commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command, is a recipient of Outstanding Achievement Medal, Distinguished Service Star, and Military Merit Medal.

He will leave the service a few days after the retirement of his classmates, former Armed Forces vice chief Lt. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang and former AFP deputy chief Vice Admiral Emilio Marayag.

On the other hand, Tedor has extensive shipboard experience, having spent his junior billets aboard Barko Republika ng Pilipinas (BRP) Sultan Kudarat and BRP Andres Bonifacio of the Philippine Fleet.

A graduate of PMA class 78, Tedor also served as naval internal auditor and commander of the Bonifacio Naval Station.

He is presently the chief of the Armed Forces Command Center and will be retiring after 32 years of service. With Aurea Calica, Jaime Laude, Alexis Romero