Excerpt from the Philippine Daily Enquirer. Your opinion/comment, please?

Esperon: Military won’t be pushed into another EDSA revolt

The chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Saturday reiterated that the military will not be pushed into backing another people power revolution.

Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. acknowledged the role played by the military during 1986 and 2001 people power revolutions that toppled former presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada, respectively, but he maintained that the AFP “must not be coaxed to lead or join another EDSA.”

“The challenge is for civil society to make democracy work. The more that the military intervenes, the more that the democratic institutions weaken,” Esperon said in a statement read by Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa of the AFP-National Capital Region Command during “a mustering of troops” under his command in Camp Aguinaldo Saturday.

“Let us believe in reasonable Senate hearings. Let us make sure those Senate hearings lead to cases filed in court or bills to be filed. Let us believe in courts and Ombudsman. Let us believe in processes, including impeachments. Let us believe in democracy,” Esperon added.

Esperon was not present reportedly due to previous engagements.

The AFP chief reiterated the military’s loyalty to the Constitution and the chain of command, saying that by opting not to intervene in the current political crisis “the military believe that democracy in this land will become stronger.”

Estrada: Be the people’s “protector”

Esperon’s statement came amid Estrada’s appeal to the military to fulfill its constitutional mandate as “protector” of the people.

Estrada, along with Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, United Opposition president, and other opposition leaders went to Baguio to attend the yearly Panagbenga or Flower Festival.

Meanwhile, Mesa said the military remains on red alert on Monday during the commemoration of the 1986 People Power revolution. Mesa said the Philippine National Police will be in charge of the security measures but he assured that his men are ready to augment the police forces.

Military units in Metro Manila have been placed on red alert on Friday as small protest actions were launched and ahead of possible protest activities over the weekend leading to an expected bigger protest action on Monday.

According to Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, AFP public information office chief, military units in Metro Manila were placed on red alert since 6 a.m. Friday due to activities on February 25, 22nd anniversary of EDSA I revolution.

He said that the level of preparedness of military units were increased because there might possibly be groups who might take advantage of the activities on the celebration of EDSA I.

An anti-coup force of one composite battalion comprising four companies of infantry and 32 tanks and armored vehicles was formed Friday to beef up the military units in Metro Manila.

“It will form part of our operational readiness and contingencies to prevent any attempts to power grab,” Mesa told reporters Friday.

“Disinformation”

Top generals of the Philippine Air Force also belied rumors that the PAF is set to lead a withdraw of support from President Arroyo as was contained in a text message that had been circulating for several days.

Maj. Gen. Michael Mendoza, PAF Vice Commander and Maj. Gen. Fernando Manalo, Air Education and Training Command chief, affirmed that they will uphold democracy and belied the rumor of a coup d’ etat.

The PAF officials were authorized by Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog, PAF commanding general to face the media.

Esperon had earlier dismissed as “disinformation” the text messages circulating about a supposed “withdrawal of support” from President Arroyo of the AFP.

In one version, a message read that the commanding generals of the PAF and Army and Philippine Marines and even the Philippine National Police are purportedly set to declare their “withdrawal of support” by Monday.

Cadungog in his text message also said: “As far as the Air Force is concerned, walang gulo na mangyayari (there will be no disturbance). (We are for) no intervention, never again. We have learned our lessons.”

Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, Army chief, on Friday had also belied rumors that he went on leave. He said he is very much running the affairs of the Philippine Army and busy attending and presiding conferences as well as visiting units.

Yano also said in an interview that he believed that it is improper for some groups to encourage the military to intervene.

“There should be no shortcut, no extra-constitutional means. We can’t interfere every time there is a political problem,” said Yano.

Yano had also supported Esperon’s earlier statements on allowing the democratic process to work.

“Let’s allow the democratic process to go on unhampered. It is the job of the military to see to it that this process goes on. It is a way of strengthening our democratic institutions. Let’s let the institutions function, otherwise, we will not be strengthening our democratic institutions, we will be weakening it,” he said.

No ingredients yet for civilian-military revolt

The military’s role in the current political crisis is being closely watched by political observers as protest actions against President Arroyo grow and intensify.

Its actions are further scrutinized as the military played key roles in previous successful people power uprisings as in EDSA I which ousted President Marcos and EDSA II which ousted President Estrada and installed Mrs. Arroyo to power.

An international risk analysis group, Eurasia, had said however that the traditional ingredients for a civilian-military revolt are still largely absent, making it difficult for the anti-Arroyo forces to co-opt the military as an institution into taking its side against the Arroyo administration.

Eurasia said that three key variables are in Arroyo’s favor for the near term - the lack of large-scale demonstrations, a key component of the 1986 and 2001 uprisings; the economy is doing reasonably well, which makes the larger middle-class reluctant to tempt political instability that could adversely affect the economy and Arroyo’s continued hold on the military.

The group said the military’s loyalty to Arroyo was “achieved through patronage and skillful handling of her relationship with key military leaders.”

Philippine Pardon Strains Antigraft Effort
By JAMES HOOKWAY
October 26, 2007

When former Philippine President Joseph Estrada was convicted of corruption and sentenced to life in prison last month, it was welcomed by many Filipinos as a first step toward promoting more accountability in the country’s graft-ridden political culture.

Yesterday, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo pardoned Mr. Estrada, leading some to suggest that political expediency would continue to outweigh the merits of lasting change in how the Philippines is governed.

After years of disappointing growth, the country’s gross domestic product is expanding this year at its fastest rate in 20 years, and Manila’s main stock index has jumped 26%.

“There won’t be any immediate, direct impact on the stock market,” said Astro del Castillo, managing director at fund-management firm First Grade Holdings Inc. But he cautioned the decision to let Mr. Estrada go free will hurt investors’ perception of the country’s anticorruption efforts and standard of governance.

Ms. Arroyo, 60 years old, and Mr. Estrada, 70, have been the two key antagonists in one of Asia’s most dramatic political battles in recent years. The pardon caught many by surprise.

Although she served as Mr. Estrada’s vice president from 1998 until he was ousted in a peaceful “People Power” revolt in January 2001, Ms. Arroyo was elected separately. Indeed, she turned against Mr. Estrada and began campaigning for his removal months before she was sworn in as his successor.

Mr. Estrada still has clout in the Philippine Congress, where his son is a senator and other powerful lawmakers are among his backers. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, his son, told reporters he was grateful to Ms. Arroyo for releasing his father, and dismissed suggestions that Mr. Estrada was being freed as part of a deal to silence allegations about corruption in Ms. Arroyo’s government. Ms. Arroyo has denied opposition claims of corruption.

In Ms. Arroyo’s statement, read on national television by her acting chief of staff, she said she was pardoning Mr. Estrada because of her government’s policy of releasing convicts who have reached the age of 70. She also noted that he had spent 6½ years under house arrest during his trial for receiving kickbacks and bribes while president. Mr. Estrada earlier agreed to drop his appeal against his conviction.

A court order seizing a mansion and more than $15.5 million in bank accounts owned by Mr. Estrada remains in place. A court spokesman said Mr. Estrada would be released once the court receives a copy of the former president’s pardon.