Minda rebels mock military’s 4 ACEs

January 31, 2010

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

Communist rebels here threw potshots at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) 2010 propaganda efforts dubbed as the four ACEs — Army’s Concern for the Environment, Army’s Concern for Engineering, Army’s Combat Excellence and Advocacy for Credible Elections.

National Democratic Front (NDF) Mindanao spokesperson Jorge Madlos a.k.a. “Ka Oris” and his Southern Mindanao counterpart Rubi Del Mundo were one in saying that these four ACEs are “mere euphemisms” purveyed by military top-brass Lt. Delfin Bangit, a favorite of Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

As for the military’s Advocacy for Credible Elections, Madlos voiced strong convictions that military officers would again be made pawns to the whims of Arroyo’s instead of the true wishes of the masses.

“The military would be used to make sure that Arroyo will continue to hold on to power,” he told media practitioners during the 41st Anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur.

Meanwhile, Del Mundo accused Bangit of laying claims to sainthood by supposedly working for a peaceful and credible election while “conveniently forgetting that the AFP is the Arroyo regime’s single, most dependable electoral machinery for electoral fraud and terrorism.”

He pointed out that since the 2004 massive GRP election cheating, the infamous Virgilio Garcillano of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the ‘Hello Garci’ generals were never prosecuted.

“As proven in the ‘Hello Garci’ scandal, the military played a major role in manipulating the 2004 GRP elections. Military generals colluded with local politicians, political warlords and the Comelec resulting to Arroyo’s victory over the undisputed winner in the GRP elections, the late Fernando Poe Jr.,” he said in a statement furnished to this network.

Del Mundo said the AFP high-ranking officials who were responsible for the massive cheating were instead absolved by the AFP fact-finding board headed by former Navy chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga.

He said these top-brass officials who were instrumental to Arroyo’s “victory” were instead promoted to higher military and government positions.

He cited how Maj. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, AFP deputy chief of staff for operations and deputy commander for Task Force Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections or TF Hope during the 2004 elections, was promoted to Army chief in August 2005 and was subsequently promoted to AFP chief of staff in 2006.

“Even after his retirement, Esperon was appointed to several government positions. He now even serves as head of the Presidential Management Staff,” he said.

Del Mundo also cited how Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon, 1st Infantry Division commander during the 2004 polls, was promoted as Southern Command (SouthCom) chief, while SouthCom chief Maj. Gen. Roy Kyamko was promoted to lieutenant general before he retired from service.

Meanwhile, he said Garcillano was never indicted but even run for a congressional seat in Bukidnon province during the 2007 elections.

“The Arroyo regime has made all efforts to protect him amidst Mrs. Arroyo’s notorious ‘I am sorry’ public apology; and thereby had continued to hide the truth from the Filipino people,” he said.

As for Army’s Concern for the Environment, the rebel leaders said this actually means that the “military will serve more the interests of big foreign and local capitalists in plundering the country’s rich natural resources.”

They said such is made through what is called the “Investment Defense Force” which the military serves as “protector” of big foreign and local logging and mining companies

The rebels said this has resulted to massive displacement of peasants and lumads; human rights violations; and disturbing environmental damage resulting to natural calamities such as landslides and floods, among others.

“Instead of preventing or mitigating the effects of natural calamities and addressing climate change, the military has contributed to their worsening,” Del Mundo said.

In terms of the Army’s Concern for Engineering, the rebel leaders said this means the military would intensify its “winning the hearts and minds campaign” through hard projects in areas where both the United States and the Philippine Government have economic interests and where revolutionary movements of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are strong.

“These projects are part of its psywar tactics in ‘counter-insurgency ‘ operations and belie the sincerity of the GRP in delivering social services, which should otherwise be carried out by civilian institutions of government,” Del Mundo said.

Lastly, on the Philippine Army’s Advocacy in Combat Excellence, the rebel leaders said this is actually the strengthening of the last lap of its failed counter-revolutionary campaign dubbed Oplan Bantay Laya.

They said it is expected that more civilians, and families and relatives of known revolutionaries would become victims of this “vicious campaign.”

“It simply means “excellence” in carrying out more extrajudicial killings, abducting and maiming activists, and terrorizing communities in both rural and urban areas,” Del Mundo said.

“By recognizing war fighting as its core competency, the AFP will only make 2010 a bloodier year for civilians and the rest of the Filipinos,” he added.

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