by Ramon J. Farolan
Inquirer
At the recent AFP command conference in Camp Aguinaldo presided over by the Commander in Chief, President Macapagal-Arroyo, the Armed Forces reported that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), remain the main threat to national security. At the same time, the AFP reported its gains against the insurgency saying that communist strength has fallen to its lowest levels in 20 years with only 5,760 active guerrillas operating throughout the country.
The AFP spokesperson Col. Bartolome Bacarro told reporters that NPA influence has been neutralized in 202 villages while 13 “guerrilla fronts” were dismantled, reducing the number of such fronts—whose shadow governments are administered by the rebels—to 87.
In the case of the Abu Sayyaf, the AFP announced that its strength was reduced to 383 at the end of last year, a reduction of 69 from its registered strength of 452 at the beginning of 2007.
Let me make a few comments starting first with the Abu Sayyaf threat.
The pinpoint accuracy of body counts is truly amazing. We are talking of very specific numbers and I am wondering just how this was arrived at. We are not even rounding up the figures. Have we been able to identify the Abu Sayyaf elements with such precision and certainty? And the number 69—which could mean dead or captured individuals—is definitely a figure of much fascination for many of us.
As for the communist insurgency: While the threat has been reduced to its lowest level in 20 years with less than 6,000 active guerrillas, why is the AFP seeking to create six new battalions of infantry, plus 20 more Cafgu [militia] companies to assist the military in the campaign against the NPA?
The answer,Replica Watches, according to army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, is “to deliver the final blow to the NPA” by having a “preponderance of forces, for the enemy not to be able to recover.”
Lieutenant General Yano is a bemedalled, experienced combat officer with a fine record of military service. But I fear that he has forgotten the lessons of history. Guerrilla forces have seldom been beaten by the preponderance of forces thrown at them. The Vietcong with their bicycles and rubber sandals defeated first the French and later the combined forces of South Vietnam, the United States and its allies all equipped with the material and technological resources that only a superpower can provide.
The greatest mistake that the AFP can commit is to throw more troops into battle with the NPA. There is no military solution to the problem we face.
If the mission is to defeat the NPA by 2010, we do not need to create additional battalions of fighting men for this purpose.
We need to create a climate of social justice throughout the country where the poor and impoverished sectors of our society can feel the compassion and care of a government rather than the heavy hand of its military forces.
To defeat the NPA, we do not need to create additional Cafgu companies. We do need to create more job opportunities so that the poorest of our men and women, especially in the rural areas, will have the chance to engage in activities that will allow them to support and sustain their families with dignity.
To defeat the NPA, we must have clean and credible elections so that people, through their ballots,Wholesale Chanel, can effect change in a peaceful manner instead of resorting to force or the use of arms. And a step in this direction is to have a Commission on Elections made up of respected men and women of integrity who would inspire confidence in our people that their choices will be honored. We also need to computerize our election mechanism so that we do not keep on waiting for delayed results from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao which since time immemorial has led to all forms of electoral fraud and disputes casting doubt on the results of the balloting.
To defeat the NPA, our people must be convinced that the rule of law applies to all—not one set of rules for rebels, rightists or leftists and another for rapists,Prada Handbags, murderers, or allies of the people in power. We cannot give the rebels in captivity the “bartolina” treatment while extending to others the amenities of a good life in prison.
If our people are wary of government and its institutions, all the battalions that we create will not be sufficient to end a struggle which now has lasted for almost 40 years.
Which now brings me to the approaching retirement date of AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. next month.
Lately there have been a number of trial balloons floated on the issue of a possible extension of General Esperon’s tour of duty beyond the compulsory retirement age of 56.
Such an extension is nothing new. Former President Fidel V. Ramos started the practice of extending the tour of duty of the AFP chief of staff beyond age 56 when he allowed Gen. Arturo Enrile to stay on after reaching this age. According to FVR’s legal advisers, the records of the Constitutional Commission showed that the intent of the charter framers was to exempt the chief of staff from the retirement policy covering military officers and allow the chief of staff to continue his services even beyond age 56 but not exceeding a three-year tenure. General Esperon was appointed in July 2006 so he still has another 18 months to go before completing three years in office.
What is new is for President Arroyo to have Esperon remain in office after reaching age 56. Should she decide to do so, he would be the first of nine AFP chiefs of staff during her administration to be extended in office beyond the compulsory retirement age.
There are two reasons why President Arroyo would like to see Esperon stay in office.
First, she feels very comfortable with him. He gives her a sense of security which is important for her these days and in the coming months.
Second, she may not be as comfortable with Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano or any of the other possible candidates for the position. So rather than take a risk, she would prefer to stick with General Esperon.
The statistics that came out of the recent AFP command conference—highlighting the accomplishments of the AFP under General Esperon—is designed to support his continued stay as chief of staff. What better explanation can she give to the officers and men of the AFP for her extension of General Esperon than to emphasize the achievements of the organization under his command?
My guess is General Esperon stays in office after Feb. 9.