Angue: Only 1 in 10 mistahs climbed to top via ‘power play’

Only about 10 percent of the Philippine Military Class (PMA) of 1978 had employed "influence and power play" to secure higher posts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. This was the claim made by Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue, a member of Class 1978 and recently relieved chief of the AFP’s National Capital Region Command (NCRCom), in an exclusive interview with radio dzBB on Tuesday. The class, called "Makatarungan (Just)," included former President Arroyo as an honorary member. Members of the class, which include retired AFP chief of staff Gen. Delfin Bangit, have generally been perceived as Arroyo’s favorites. Some of them have been appointed to choice positions while bypassing other AFP officers belonging to the more senior PMA classes of 1976 and 1977. Rising on one's merits Angue, a two-star general who was himself considered ripe for promotion to three-star rank when he was assigned to head the NCRCom, however said he and most of his classmates or mistahs deserved the ranks and positions they are currently holding. "I am 100 percent sure, [I can say that] I rose on my own merits. I would say marami sa aming klase, sabihin na natin na mahigit sa 90 percent sa class namin ay umakyat sa sarili nilang merito at accomplishments (many in our class, let’s say more than 90 percent in our class, rose in rank on their own merits and accomplishments)," he said. However, Angue admitted there were some mistahs who didn't play by the rules in working their way up the ranks. "Pero tinatanggap ko rin na merong kaunti sa amin, mga 10 percent, na gumamit ng impluwensiya at power play na nakakuha ng position sa panahon ng dating administrasyon," he said. (But I also admit that there are a few among us, some 10 percent, who used influence and power play, and got plum positions under the previous administration.) According to the PMA's Alumni Register, the class of 1978 has 143 members, with 47 of them having either retired or resigned by 2004 — the year Arroyo won the presidential elections and assumed a full term. Angue said he had already raised the “power play" issue among mistahs when he was still class president. "Iyon ay pinagsasabihan namin... Sinasabi namin na huwag ninyo pilitin. Una, dahil mapapasama si [President Arroyo] at mapapasama ang klase," the military official said. (We remind them. We tell them, ‘Don’t push it.’ First, because the President will look bad, and the class will also look bad.) He said internal debates had even escalated into "shouting" matches among members of class 1978. Angue said his warning seemed unheeded by some mistahs: "Iyong hindi nakinig, naging totoo na nga. Iyon ang nakasama sa aming klase (Those who didn't listen, it came true for them. That brought harm to our class)." Angue refused to identify which classmates resorted to pulling strings to secure top AFP posts. Asked if Bangit was among his erring classmates, Angue defended his former chief and said Bangit simply "had the confidence and trust" of Mrs. Arroyo. "Ang tignan natin ay ang ibang officials. Sino ang pinilit na i-akyat na nalampasan ang '77 (We should look at other officials [of '78]. Who were they who were pushed up to bypass Class '77)," Angue said. 'Questionable promotions' In a separate interview also on Tuesday, Angue named two senior officers who he said were given questionable promotions. Angue said the promotions of Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) chief Maj. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan and Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP) chief Brig. Gen. Romulo Bambao are both questionable. Although he stopped short of accusing the two officers of politicking to get promoted, he noted that both belonged to PMA class 1979, which he claims is close to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. Angue said Pangilinan’s rise to his current Nolcom post, which gives him control over the Army’s 5th and 7th Infantry Divisions, did not go through the normal ladder of command. He explained that Pangilinan should have acquired some experience first as division commander before being appointed to head an area command higher than divisional command, like Nolcom. “The reason why you have to be a division commander first before [you are assigned to] an area command is that division commanders will be under you… If you did not become a division commander, what is your moral ascendancy to command divisions," Angue sad. Angue also said that unified area commanders should be picked from among the division commanders. Of the generals who now command the Army’s 10 infantry divisions, he said, majority are more senior in rank than Pangilinan. “He has jumped two notches (from AFP deputy chief of staff for operations to Nolcom commander) already at the ladder of commander. If he gets his third star," that means Pangilinan is really close to the defense secretary, said Angue. As for the ISAFP chief, Angue said Bambao was not among the top-listed candidates for the post. For his part, Pangilinan refused to comment on Angue’s allegations. Gag order, ‘demotion’ for Angue In March, Arroyo appointed Bangit, then Army chief, to the post of AFP chief. His Army post was given to then NCRCom chief Maj. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu, while Mapagu's vacated post was given to Angue. Angue hogged headlines earlier this month after he claimed that a number of senior military officers engaged in partisan politics during the May 10 elections, which President Benigno Aquino III won by a landslide. Soon after making his allegations, Angue was slapped with a gag order and threatened with disciplinary action by new AFP chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo David. Over the weekend, the military announced his relief from the NCRCom and transfer to the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (Westmincom) Command based in Zamboanga City — a move seen by Angue as a demotion. He then expressed his disappointment at the reassignment through the media. AFP denies Angue claims Meanwhile, the AFP leadership on Tuesday denied Angue’s allegation of "politicking" within the military. "There is no politicking. If Angue can pinpoint who is politicking, he should tell so. Name names," AFP chief David said after the Senate defense committee meeting on Tuesday. David warned Angue that he should not take potshots at the military as a whole. "Nakaka-kwan naman sa mga tao na wala naman (It affects people who haven’t done anything wrong). He cannot drag the whole armed forces," he said. David said that Angue should be "gentleman enough" to accept his transfer. "That was an order... his statement is unprofessional and unsoldiery. He's going to the media; that is very unprofessional and unethical," he said. He also clarified that Angue was neither demoted nor promoted, emphasizing that the rear admiral retained a two-star rank. On Monday afternoon, the AFP said that Angue could face investigation for his comments to the media about his relief. Military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Joze Mabanta Jr. said Angue’s comments were "bordering" on insubordination and were in violation of the AFP Code of Ethics. Senator Francis Escudero, who heads the Senate commitee on defense, said that the chamber will not yet intervene in the matter. "I will await further action of the AFP before we enter the picture," Escudero said.—With Kimberly Jane T. Tan/JV, GMANews.TV