Honasan warns Aquino vs military ‘grumblings’

Senator Gregorio Honasan on Thursday advised President Benigno Aquino III to better take care of the military amid reports that there are "grumblings" among the young offers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Honasan, a former military colonel who led several coup attempts against Aquino's mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, said no government is "immune" to military adventurism. "No administration is immune if it does not respond to the root causes of these grumblings if ever, and if it does not deliver good government," he said during a weekly forum at the Senate. Honasan was jailed after the 1989 coup attempt against Mrs. Aquino but was released in 1992 after he was granted amnesty by then President Fidel Ramos, a former AFP chief of staff. PNoy inspires AFP As far as the AFP was concerned, however, it is “invigorated" by the Aquino government. “The AFP stands invigorated by the first year of the President’s leadership as our commander-in-chief," said AFP spokesman Commodore Miguel Jose Rodriguez. Rodriguez said the morale of the soldiers is “bolstered" by Aquino’s housing program for soldiers and policemen where 20,000 housing units were constructed, and the doubling of combat duty pay and combat incentive pay of soldiers from P240 to P500 a month. He also noted that Aquino ordered the allocation of P11.9 billion several months ago for the procurement of military assets, like ships and aircraft, needed in the protection of the country’s interest off Palawan province. "We are inspired by his commitment to upgrade our capability to protect the people and our country by providing P11 billion for upgrading (our) equipment in just a year," Rodriguez said. Ear on the ground Honasan, meanwhile, admitted that he is not personally aware of supposed grumblings within the AFP. “It takes more than grumbling to initiate something that has happened before in the past, [but if] you give our people, our soldiers, our policemen good government, you will remove the reason for the grumblings that can translate into action," said Honasan, who was also implicated in July 2003 attempt to overthrow the Arroyo administration. Honasan, vice chairman of the Senate defense committee, said Aquino must look into the situation of the military officers and the soldiers on the ground. “May pinanggagalingan, wag tayo patulog-tulog, baka magulat na naman tayo," he said. “You try to keep your ears on the ground so that you'll know what's happening on the ground. Are our soldiers and officers happy? Are they not happy? Why are they not happy?" he added. He said the President should specifically address concerns regarding pay, allowances, equipment, and family situation. Honasan, meanwhile, gave Aquino a rating of seven out of 10 for his performance during his first year as President. "[There is a] very big mandate, very many votes, very high expectations, and very high level of frustration and impatience," he said. But he said Aquino still has time to do something about his administrations problems and even the ones he inherited. "The President has five years to pull it all together." Administration ally Sen. Ralph Recto, for his part, gave the President a grade of 88 percent but said Aquino's second year is going to be a "make or break" deal for him. "It is in the second year that the building blocks for a grand national take-off are strategically laid out. The groom may miss the bride’s erogenous zone during the first year but failure to hit the right spot on the second year is inexcusable," he said in a statement. He said the Aquino administration should start "hitting the right numbers" by the second year or it loses "immunity" from blame. - KBK, GMA News