Wong’s PMA classmates being eased out of posts

Outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Angelo Reyes is reportedly easing out the classmates of former Navy chief Rear Adm. Guillermo Wong, a source in the AFP high command said yesterday.

The source, requesting anonymity for fear of reprisal, said Reyes heads one of three factions, known as "SIR" among ranking AFP officials, who are now lording it over the AFP chain of command.

According to the source, "S" stands for Philippine Military Academy Class of "Seventy" (1970); "I" is for the "Ilocano" bloc of gene-rals headed by incoming AFP chief Lt. Gen. Diomedio Villanueva, and "R" is for "Reyes."

The Ilocano bloc suppo-sedly enjoys the backing of Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Cha-vit" Singson, who blew the whistle on ousted President Joseph Estrada, while the Reyes group has the backing of former President Fidel Ramos, the source said.

The source said members of the PMA’s Class 1969, which includes Wong, met Tuesday night with President Arroyo at Malacañang to air their grievances against "SIR."

Other sources said the President on Monday also met with officers including police Senior Superintendent Reynaldo Berroya and retired Col. Billy Bibit, both members of PMA Class ’69.

The Tuesday meeting was reportedly arranged through Executive Secretary Renato de Villa and attended by Wong, acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Deputy Director General Leandro Mendoza, Armed Forces deputy chief Lt. Gen. Jaime de los Santos and Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor.

Also a prominent member of the class but absent during the Palace meeting was Lt. Gen. Gregorio Ca-miling, commanding general of the AFP Southern Command based in Zamboanga City.

Camiling will reportedly be named vice chief of staff replacing Lt. Gen. Jose Calimlim who will allegedly be offered an ambassadorial post.

"We feel they are insecure about us because out of the five generals who were at EDSA, three of them belong to Class 1969," said the source who was also present at the meeting with the President.

The officer was referring to Wong, De los Santos and Defensor.

Wong was relieved as Navy flag-officer-in-command after he got the ire of the military hierarchy for exposing several dubious transactions involving the Philippine Marines.

De los Santos, on the other hand, will be sent away from Armed Forces general headquarters to head the newly created and thus, less significant, AFP Central Command.

Defensor also fears that he will be given a less significant role if he is "promoted" to the AFP deputy chief of staff post to be vacated by De los Santos.

Defensor will reportedly be replaced by Major Gen. Nilo Jatico, current chief of the Air Logistics and Support Command.

"We are not a bad class and we are supportive of the government but they want us eased out of the hierarchy," the official said. "We are fully supportive of the government we helped put in place."

He said Mrs. Arroyo assured them that she did not believe reports against the class.

"We were surprised. All of a sudden we were being oppressed," the officer said, adding that they first heard of "SIR" and the moves against them when they were updating their class directory.

Comprising the Ilocano bloc of generals are Villanueva, Maj. Gen. Roy Cimatu, Armed Forces intelligence service chief Col. Victor Corpus and Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Alvarado, who is reportedly being eyed as chief of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division.

The Class of ’69 cavaliers particularly lamented the perceived preference of Reyes for Cimatu, a Class of ’70 cavalier and 4th Infantry Division commander, over Camiling as Villanueva’s replacement as Army chief.

Camiling will reportedly be replaced by 1st Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Narciso Abaya, also a member of Class 1970.

Maj. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia, Class 1970, will reportedly assume the Northern Command which was initially offered to Wong after his row with the Marines.

Wong’s classmates were also concerned at the apparent easing out of Mendoza as PNP chief. He will supposedly be replaced by Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force chief Director Hermogenes Ebdane, also of Class 1970.

Other members of Class 1970 are Presidential Security Group commander Brig. Gen. Glenn Rabonza, Col. Cesar Garcia, senior military assistant to the Secretary of National Defense and Maj. Gen. Rufo de Veyra, chief of the 8th Infantry Division.

But leading the class is Villanueva who is set to take over Reyes’ post on March 17 when the latter reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56.

Reyes is apparently being groomed to be the next defense secretary vice acting defense chief Eduardo Ermita.

Ombudsman expands probe on AFP purchases

Meanwhile, Ombudsman Aniano Desierto yesterday said his office is now investigating 19 AFP officials involved in the purchase of P3.8 million worth of defective Kevlar helmets and P7.2 million worth of Heckler and Koch assault rifles in 1998.

He told reporters the list of respondents has increased from eight to 19 after two private individuals and additional military officers, aside from former Marine commandant Lt. Gen. Eduardo Espinosa, were included in the probe.

Desierto said the case is now being handled by Deputy Ombudsman for the Military Orlando Casimiro, who has elevated the investigation from a mere fact-finding to an inquest.

Desierto said the investigating panel is set to finish the probe and submit a report by Mar. 30. Aside from Casimiro, other panel members are investigators Ricardo Sullano, Don Esquivel and Josephine Vargas.

President Arroyo earlier ordered Reyes to probe the controversial purchases which were exposed by Wong last month but Reyes suggested that the probe be conducted by the Ombudsman to avoid suspicions of a whitewash. — With Delon Porcalla