No favoritism: Only 8 Arroyo mistahs promoted so far this year

Only eight of the 34 military generals and flag officers promoted so far this year belong to the controversial Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1978, the batch that has President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as an honorary member. Armed Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos said this debunks the claim by anti-Arroyo critics that members of the PMA Class 1978 are favored in terms of promotion by the current administration. “This means that there is equal opportunity [in promotion]. It doesn’t mean that you will be promoted ahead than the junior class if you belong to a senior class. There are [members of] class 80 who were promoted ahead of [PMA class] 77, 78, and 79," said Burgos. The accusation of favoritism came out last month after the appointment of Gen. Delfin Bangit as chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). His mistah (classmate), Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu, was promoted to the three-star rank before being named commander of the Philippine Army. The six other members of the PMA class ’78 promoted this year are Central Command chief Lt. Ralph Villanueva, Chief of Air Staff Maj. Gen. Jesus Fajardo, 4th Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Mario Chan, 5th Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Romel Gomez, 7th Infantry Division chief Brig. Gen. Restituto Aguilar, and Department of National Defense- Office of the Defense Reform chief Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Ordonez. Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez had alleged that the appointment of Bangit and other members of PMA Class 1978 is part of a plan to keep President Arroyo, whose administration is rocked by several corruption controversies, in power in case the first ever nationwide automated elections on May 10 fail. Only three members of the PMA class ‘77 were promoted this year: Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo David, AFP Command and General Staff College head Rear Admiral Raul Espera, and AFP Provost Marshal General Brig. Gen. Roger Diaz. There are nine members of the PMA class ’79 promoted this year, led by Air Education and Training Command chief Maj. Gen. Renato Lorenzo Sanchez, AFP Resource Management Office chief Maj. Gen. Pedro Soria, acting AFP deputy chief of staff for civil military operations Maj. Gen. Victor Felix and acting AFP deputy chief of staff for plans Maj. Gen. Jose Tony Villarete. The five others members of the class promoted were Army Support Command deputy chief Brig. Gen. Arnulfo Palmea; 1st Infantry Division deputy chief Brig. Gen. Alexander Dicang, Naval Internal Auditor Commodore Raul Leyritana, and Joint Task Force Malampaya head Commodore Esteban Castro. Six of the promotees are from the PMA class ’80 - Army chief of staff Maj. Gen. William Campos, AFP Management Fiscal Office chief Honorato delos Reyes, AFP Office of the Legislative Affairs chief Brig. Gen. Cesar Yano, Air Defense Wing chief Brig. Gen. Nestor Deona, Naval Service Force chief Commodore Edgard Tamayo, and Naval Forces Central chief Commodore Armando Guzman. Three are from PMA class ’81. They are AFP Inspector General Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, Navy Attack Craft Force chief Commodore Philip Cacayan and PMA assistant superintendent Brig. Gen. Virgilo Domingo. The five non-PMAers promoted this year were AFP Reserve Command chief Brig. Gen. Juanito Dalmas, Naval Reserve Command chief Brig. Gen. Bernardo Ferrer, 3rd Marine Brigade chief Brig. Gen. Mario Montejos, 570th Composite Tactical Wing commander Brig. Gen. Roy Devaraturda, and National Capital Region Command deputy chief Brig. Gen. Lorenzo Sumicad. - KBK, GMANews.TV