Overpriced dogs may derail Reyes’ Cabinet bid

Outgoing Armed Forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes’ bid to be the next secretary of national defense (SND) may be derailed following a complaint filed with the Ombudsman over the purchase of allegedly overpriced dogs.

Named co-respondent with Reyes was Orlando Mercado, the former defense secretary who is running for senator in the May elections.

But in a press conference yesterday, Reyes, Mercado and other officials said the contract involving the purchase of eight K-9s for detecting bombs and drugs at the height of the Mindanao conflict last year was aboveboard and transparent.

"It is a nuisance case, a demolition job," a visibly irked Reyes said, adding the case may have been hatched by unnamed groups who were involved in the recent jockeying by senior generals vying for the post of AFP chief of staff.

"Somebody may be appointed as SND and he can’t because there is a case pending in the Ombudsman," Mercado said, adding the charges could also be connected to his bid for the Senate.

Mercado and Reyes appealed to the Ombudsman to act on the case swiftly. The former defense official said his lawyers are already preparing a reply for the speedy resolution of the case.

"We will submit our counter affidavits without having to wait for a subpoena," Mercado said.

Reyes is seriously being considered by President Arroyo to head the defense department after he retires on March 17.

Earlier, acting Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita, concurrent Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, admitted there are many aspirants to the post but said Mrs. Arroyo will have the final say on the matter.

Sources said the charge could put the President in a bind, reminiscent to what happened to retired general Lisandro Abadia whose appointment as National Security Adviser (NSA) was withdrawn by Mrs. Arroyo following a public outcry.

When he was appointed NSA, Abadia reportedly still had a pending case along with other officials of the AFP Retirement and Separation Benefits System before the Ombudsman. The case was filed by Mercado when he was still defense chief.

The appointment triggered the resignation of Mercado.

Asked whether the case of overpriced dogs would affect his chances for the defense portfolio, Reyes said: "It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care."

The case was filed in February by a certain Teofilo Sison of the Association of Civilian Employees of the DND (Ascend).

It turned out, however, that Sison was actually the country’s first defense secretary in the 1930s and died in the ’70s, according to Ascend president Michael Seballos, who added they don’t have any person by that name in their roster.

Former DND undersecretary for operations Esteban Conejos said the contract involved a comprehensive package to include training of dogs and trainers, breeding, equipment and use of facilities of supplier SH K-9 Warriors Academy.

Conejos said the package includes two free dogs and a provision to raise 15 puppies per year for a period of five years, or a total of 75 canines.

He said the contract was negotiated and not bidded out because of the urgency of the situation at the time when suspected Muslim separatists were conducting bomb runs in schools, churches, malls and other public areas.

The dogs, Conejos said, helped thwart more bombings and thus saved the lives of more people.