Ex-AFP chief: Nothing wrong with retired military execs in civilian posts

New Immigration head Ricardo David on Friday said there is nothing wrong with President Benigno Aquino III's appointment of a retired military official to a civilian post. Speaking to reporters after taking his oath of office at the Justice department, the former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff said he is fit to take on his new job. "I think when you retire from the AFP, you're already a civilian. And we were also civilians even before we entered the military. So now we're civilians again. So let's see first. If I can't take on the job, I will quit. But I think in my duties as BI [Bureau of Immigration] commissioner, the priority is to move towards the vision of the president of taking the high road," David said. President Aquino appointed David as BI commissioner a day after the former AFP chief of staff retired from the military service last March 8. Malacañang, through spokesman Edwin Lacierda, parried criticisms that Aquino inherited former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's practice of giving civilian posts to retired AFP officials. Among those Arroyo had appointed were former AFP vice chief of staff Eduardo Ermita who served as executive secretary. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and the late Angelo Reyes, both former AFP chiefs, handled several high government positions, and four Cabinet-level posts in the case of Reyes. New BI chief David took his oath of office before Justice Sec. Leila de Lima on Friday noon. The BI is an attached agency of the Justice department. David is also set to take his ceremonial oath before President Aquino later in the day. David said he will still review his priorities as the new Immigration commissioner, but he said he will make it a point to continue his predecessor's efforts against human trafficking. "People are being smuggled, so that will be one of the concerns that the Bureau of Immigration has to solve," said David. He added he will still have to study whether there is a need to revamp the BI leadership. "We'll make recommendations to the president and to the secretary of Justice," he said. David likewise said that he plans to remove corruption at the BI. For her part, De Lima said she is giving David time to adapt to his new job. "I'm giving him several days to adjust and know the internal workings and personnel ofthe BI, so he would know how to go forward and after that, after several days, we will discuss the plans and programs started by his predecessor, former officer in charge [Rolando] Ledesma," said De Lima. — LBG, GMA News