RETIRED GENERALS URGE GLORIA TO RESIGN
MANILA, June 17, 2005 (MALAYA) A number of retired military and police generals met on Wednesday and reached a consensus to call for the resignation of President Arroyo amid charges that she cheated in last years presidential election.The meeting at a Quezon City restaurant was announced yesterday by former Constabulary chief Maj. Gen. (ret.) Ramon Montao, one of the organizers.
"For the sake of national survival, we are appealing to GMA and all those in her administration who manipulated the results of the 2004 elections through fraud, bribery, intimidation and naked abuse of power to resign to pave the way for real change under our Constitution," said Montao, quoting an agreement reached during the meeting.
"We are also asking the members of the AFP/PNP, Comelec, local government and even Congress who were used in this massive conspiracy to frustrate the peoples will to come forward and speak the truth to the Filipino people. We are asking every Filipino to join us in this appeal," Montao, secretary general of the Young Enlisted Soldiers with Active and Retired Military for Solidarity (Yes Arms), said.
Those who attended included Yes Arms spokesman Commodore (ret). Ismael Aparri and Brig. Gen. (ret.) Tomas Diaz, one of the founding leaders of the Association of Generals for Poe and Legarda,
a group of retired officers that supported the Poe-Legarda ticket in the elections.
When asked for the names of others who were at the meeting, Montao said "many attended" but they did not want their names known,
But a source said he saw former AFP chief Gen. (ret.) Joselin Nazareno and former Army chief Lt. Gen. Jaime delos Santos. Both supported the candidacy of Poe.
Nazareno and Delos Santos formed a group of retired military and police officers which monitored the conduct of elections in Mindanao where there was allegedly massive cheating for Arroyo.
"The general sentiment is for her to resign, otherwise it will be bloody. If she does not resign, some people will force her to resign," Montano said.
"Most of them know what happened during the elections, most of them worked for Fernando Poe Jr., monitored the elections and they knew what happened," Montano said.
Montao served as PC chief during the Aquino administration, He was presidential adviser on police matters during the Ramos administration.
The Armed Forces said they are "intently watching" what former defense secretary and Army chief Maj. Gen. (ret.) Fortunato Abat would do on June 25, the deadline given by Abat for the President to resign.
"General Abat has given the President on or before June 25 to step down. We are intently watching what the general will do. He has a lot of options: write a book, go to Club Filipino and in a press conference extend his deadline or gather his group again and blame the AFP for PGMAs continue stay at the Palace," said AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Angel Honrado.
Abat, one of the convenors of the Coalition for National Salvation, is organizing a so-called march for national salvation on June 25 to Malacanang. The march is intended to force Arroyo to vacate the presidency.
Honrado said: "It has become a bad habit for ex-officers to take shots at the government. The AFP advises retired and active officers to use their good judgment, exercise more prudence and avoid taking the bait General Abat has used to attract others like him and stir sentiments against the AFP and the duly-constituted government."
"The AFP respects freedom of speech but advises active and retired officers against further continuing criticism of the government as it is not helping the military organization. The trap has been set. Those who will be ensnared will find themselves on the wrong side of the law and may find it difficult to return to the fold," he added.
Abat is among three retired officers tagged by the military as among those who are destabilizing government. The two others are Aparri and Brig. Gen. Angel Sadang, leader of the Generals for the Constitution.
The militarys National Capital Region Command yesterday morning downgraded its alert level from red to white alert, saying destabilization efforts against the Arroyo government had died down.
The NCR command imposed the highest state of alert on June 9, a day before NBI deputy director Samuel Ong surfaced with what he described as the "mother of all tapes" that contains alleged conversations between Arroyo and Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.
"I guess there is no more threat thats why the red alert was downgraded," NCR Command spokesman Capt. Ramon Zagala said.
"We went on red alert really because of the Independence Day celebrations. It was just extended a bit," Zagala said.
PNP chief Arturo C. Lomibao said some active and retired police officers made the rounds of police camps last week to recruit "detabilizers" but were rebuffed.
Lomibao said the "recruiters," which the PNP have all identified, stopped after he issued a warning that "any attempt to weaken the institution will not be taken lightly."
He said he called up some of those who made the rounds and the latter denied they were recruiting for destabilization.
When asked what would be do if approached, Lomibao said: "Sasabihin ko get out of my sight."
The PNP has brought down its alert level from full to heightened. Lomibao said the situation is getting back to normal.
"But we do not know if there are still groups who are trying to bring this government down. But I hope they will stop doing it because theyre not doing any good to the economy," he said. Victor Reyes and Raymond Africa
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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