Stay or quit? AFP chief Bangit to decide next week — source

Whether or not Gen. Delfin Bangit will cling on to his post as chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be known next week, a military official said on Sunday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Bangit couldn’t help but feel bad about the pronouncement of President-elect Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III and his allies in the media regarding him. “Although he [Bangit] was not expecting that he would be retained, what he wants is to be given honor and dignity. They should have waited for their assumption or arrange a briefing and discuss it formally," the official said. Aquino, who will assume office on June 30, said at a press briefing after his proclamation last Wednesday he doesn’t want Bangit as the military chief under his administration. Earlier this month, Aquino’s spokesman, Edwin Lacierda, was quoted in media reports as saying that Bangit should not wait for the next administration to resign. “Just a matter of time" Asked to confirm if Bangit would indeed come out with a decision this week, AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos was less categorical. “He said that whatever will be the decision, it will be for the good of the Armed Forces and for the Armed Forces. We will know it within the next few days," Burgos said. Bangit had made it known to the media that he’s willing to take an early retirement. He also said he would decide before June 30. Bangit, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1978, is due for retirement in July next year when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56. “It’s just a matter time before we’ll know it [Bangit’s decision]. He said that he is considering an early retirement," Burgos said. Arroyo general? Bangit is perceived as a loyalist of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo because of two things: he served as head of the Presidential Security Group under her administration, and President Arroyo is an honorary member of PMA class of 1978. Before the May 10 elections, administration critics said Bangit’s appointment was part of Malacañang’s plan to set up a military junta to prolong President Arroyo’s stay in power. But according to the source, the fact that the recent elections went orderly and peaceful showed that the critics were wrong. “He did nothing wrong [as AFP chief]. He has proven wrong all the doubts on him. He did everything to disprove it. He kept his word that he will not allow himself to be used by anyone," the official said. First time If ever Bangit stays in his post but removed by Aquino after June 30, he will be the first military chief of staff in recent history who will be sacked by a new president. Gen. Lisandro Abadia, who was appointed by the late President Corazon Aquino a year before the 1992 elections, was able to complete his term under President Fidel Ramos who, meanwhile, chose to extend the term of his last chief of staff, Gen. Clemente Mariano, to four months to ensure a smooth transition for his successor, Joseph Estrada. Estrada, however, was ousted with the help of his own chief of staff then, Gen. Angelo Reyes, whom President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo retained for a couple of months until his retirement. - KBK, GMANews.TV