MANILA, Philippines—Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales on Friday dismissed rumors circulating via text messages that he and the Armed Forces were planning to carry out some kind of cheating operation in the May elections.
“I have been receiving this message and you know it has been a long campaign in our society today to malign the [Armed Forces] that it will and did participate in some cheating in the elections,” Gonzales said in a speech at the turnover ceremonies for the new Army Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu.
The Armed Forces is under a new set of generals said to be close to President Macapagal-Arroyo, giving rise to all sorts of of would-be scenarios, from rigging the elections to instigating a failure of election to a military takeover to put Ms Arroyo in power beyond June 30.
Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit, the outgoing Army Commanding General, was appointed Armed Forces Chief of Staff early this week. Bangit was senior aide-de-camp to Ms Arroyo when the latter was vice president.
Text messages
Text messages have been going around alleging that Gonzales would manipulate the election results with the assistance of Bangit and a Korean computer expert identified as Martin Leebiong.
In his speech, Gonzales said he did not want soldiers to “return to barracks” during the elections as this would only give detractors a chance to accuse the military of involvement in cheating.
He said the Armed Forces “will be there on election day. We must confront the problem. I want to end all the campaign maligning the Armed Forces.”
Gonzales said the AFP would not allow any delays in the elections.
“We will make sure that the elections will be held as scheduled [and] we will make sure elections will be clean and fair,” he said.
No illegal orders
At a press briefing after the turnover rites, Mapagu swore on the Bible that he has not received illegal orders from Ms Arroyo or other high-ranking officials, echoing the statement aired by his classmate, Bangit, when he took over from Gen. Victor Ibrado last Wednesday.
“And I am sure that no illegal orders will be given to me,” he said.
Mapagu’s previous post of Metro Manila Command Chief will be taken over by Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue.
Mapagu, Angue and Bangit belong to the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1978, which has adopted Ms Arroyo as an honorary member.
Holdover president
The appointment of members of this class to key posts has stirred suspicions that there are plans to install President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a holdover president in the event of a failure of the first automated elections on May 10.
Bangit appealed to his critics not to create intrigues between him and PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa, a member of the PMA Class of 1976. “Ultimately, it’s the country that suffers,” he told reporters.
At a meeting with Inquirer editors and reporters last Tuesday, Verzosa said he would not support any attempt by Bangit to keep Ms Arroyo in power if the elections failed.
“I know him [Versoza] and I have a high respect for him so it would be unfair to make any comment,” Bangit said.
He said the point would not be reached where “illegal orders” will be issued and followed, “because my actions will be within the bounds of law.”
Defense chief denies rumor of poll cheating operation
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