The military on Tuesday vowed to distance itself from politics to ensure that the upcoming 2010 polls will be honest and clean.Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said in a press conference that the military would not allow its soldiers to favor any candidates in the coming elections.
“The AFP will not be used for any political ends by any of the political parties or by any individual," he said.
Brawner likewise said that the AFP has began crafting measures to ensure that the coming national and local elections will be clean and credible, in line with new Defense secretary Norberto Gonzales’ assurance that elections will push through in 2010.
Gonzales, who took over the Defense post Monday, gave the assurance after his appointment revived fears that President Gloria Arroyo was plotting to stay in power beyond her term in 2010 via a failure-of-elections scenario. [See: New defense chief Gonzales allays 'No-El' fears]
“The AFP is now crafting its plans in order to implement the guidance of the new (secretary of national defense). (We are) firming up plans to ensure (honest and clean elections), so that we will be able to implement this instruction," said Brawner.
Brawner, however, failed to specify the military’s plans for 2010, saying these measures are still being discussed with the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The AFP spokesperson also said that the military is more wary now after four generals were mentioned in the controversial “Hello, Garci" tapes, which suggested their possible involvement in the alleged manipulation of the 2004 election results to favor administration bets.
One of the four generals was Hermogenes Esperon, who was then AFP deputy chief of staff for operations and later rose to become Army chief and finally AFP chief.
Esperon is expected to run for a congressional seat in his home province in Pangasinan in the coming elections. [See: ‘Hello, Garci’ general eyeing elective post]
“We hope the scandal would not be repeated because we want our next leader to have also that credibility because of an honest election and we will work for that," Brawner said. – Andreo C. Calonzo, GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/177208/military-vows-hands-off-politics-stance-in-2010
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