MANILA, Philippines - A former military chief on Wednesday labeled Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV as “the boy who cried wolf” and challenged him to just explain where he used his disbursement allocation program (DAP) funds instead of spreading stories about coup plots.
Hermogenes Esperon, who served as Armed Forces chief, peace adviser, and Presidential Management Staff head under the Arroyo administration, said he could not see any reason for soldiers to seek President Aquino’s ouster.
“It seems that his (Trillanes) information was lacking. I think this is what they call the boy who cried wolf. In the morning, he killed the wolf and he became the hero the next day,” Esperon said.
Esperon was referring to a Greek fable about a boy who caused alarm in a village by spreading false information that a wolf is attacking his flock. When a wolf surfaced, the boy cried for help but the villagers did not help him, thinking it was just another joke.
Esperon said active soldiers are very professional unlike “whiners” who occupied a hotel in Makati, an obvious reference to the short-lived Oakwood Mutiny in 2003 led by Trillanes and other junior officers.
“They (soldiers) know that they are the protectors of the people and they are the defenders of the constitution. They want to preserve the integrity of the republic. That is their duty unlike others. I’d like to call whiners,” Esperon said.
“These whiners might not have experienced getting their combat boots wet and yet you would think they are instant experts on leading people in the field, that they are the best in the armed forces,” he added.
Last Tuesday, Trillanes claimed that retired generals identified with Arroyo are cooking up a plot against the Aquino administration.
He claimed that former generals are meeting with active military officers to convince them to destabilize the government.
Esperon, however, is taking Trillanes’ revelations with a grain of salt.
“Soldiers will defend the constitution. They will defend the people. They will be very professional. I do not believe (information) from people who have been very unprofessional,” the former military chief said.
“They should not say that the armed forces will launch a coup,” he added.
‘Just explain DAP’
Esperon said Trillanes should just account for the DAP funds he had received instead of linking retired generals to alleged destabilization plots.
“I have a suggestion. Why not explain the DAP they received? Why point finger at us? Maybe that’s the reason why they are seeing trouble? They should just explain the DAP maybe the people will appreciate that,” he said.
The DAP was dragged in a controversy after Sen. Jinggoy Estrada claimed that those who voted to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona were given P50 million in additional funding.
Among those who voted against Corona was Trillanes, who later on admitted receiving P50-million worth of allocations for projects even as he claimed that the amount was part of his priority development assistance fund.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad justified the disbursement by saying that the funds were meant to promote economic activity. He also denied allegations that DAP was used to influence the outcome of Corona’s impeachment trial.
Early this month, the Supreme Court unanimously declared key portions of DAP unconstitutional as they violated the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers
Retired generals: No ouster plot vs. P-Noy
A group of retired generals, meanwhile, denied that there is brewing plot against the Aquino administration.
Edilberto Adan, president of the Association of General and Flag Officers (AGFO) said they do not support any effort to destabilize the government.
“We believe in the proper way of airing grievances,” Adan told radio station dzBB.
“We in AGFO stand by the constitution and the rule of law,” he added.
Adan said no one has approached AGFO members to convince them to join the destabilization plot against the government.