Jockeying on for Southcom position

ZAMBOANGA CITY — A day after intense jockeying for the country’s top military post ended, another game of the generals began here yesterday. And the prize is the commander’s chair at the military’s Southern Command (Southcom).

This developed as National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said President Arroyo will not extend but will, in fact, cut short the tour of duty of Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu when he becomes AFP chief of staff on May 20.

Golez took up the cudgels for his former classmate at Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1970, while at least four major generals started "soliciting" military and civilian support for their bids to head the Southcom post which Cimatu will be vacating.

Military sources here said the possible contenders for the top Southcom post are Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) chief Maj. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia, Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) chief Maj. Gen. Ernesto Carolina, Army 6th Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Roy Kyamko and Maj. Gen. Glicerio Sua, commander of Task Force Comet which is pursuing Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Basilan.

While none of the generals directly expressed interest in the post, journalists based here noted a barrage of press releases shortly after the President announced Cimatu’s appointment last Monday.

The Southcom makes up 40 percent of the 130,000-strong AFP and most of the men who have occupied its top post, like Cimatu, were promoted to AFP chief.

But Golez said that since President Arroyo has said Cimatu would serve only until September, the general’s tour of duty would be cut to four months instead of the customary three years.

In fact, Republic Act 8186, which was passed in 1996, provides that the AFP chief of staff shall have a fixed tour of duty of three years, Golez said.

Golez specifically cited Section 3 of RA 8186 which empowers the President to allow the AFP chief of staff to finish the designated tenure in position although he may have reached the age of compulsory retirement.

Golez also noted that Section 4 of the same law also exempts the AFP chief from the general rule that no officer may be promoted to the next rank if he has less than one year of active service remaining before compulsory retirement.

The same provisions of the law were invoked by former President Fidel Ramos when he extended the tour of duty of the late AFP chief Arturo Enrile, Golez added.

Golez, a graduate of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, was originally a member of PMA Class of 1970.

Meanwhile, acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable said the President is confident that Cimatu’s appointment would be confirmed by the bicameral Commission on Appointments before Congress adjourns its first regular session on June 5.

Despite the intense jockeying for the top AFP post, the five other lieutenant generals whom Cimatu bested were all present during the traditional military send-off for the commander-in-chief at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) before leaving for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday.

The generals and flag officer were AFP vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gregorio Camiling, AFP deputy chief of staff Lt. Gen. Narciso Abaya, Army chief Lt. Gen. Dionisio Santiago, Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor and Navy chief Vice Admiral Victorino Hingco.

Camiling, one of the three final candidates for AFP chief, admitted that he was "naturally" disappointed at not being chosen but emphasized that he is not due to retire until next year and has not lost hope for his own bid to become AFP chief. The other finalist was Abaya.

Also present at the NAIA was Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes who agreed with Golez’s assessment that the President’s earlier pronouncement was well within the limits imposed by the law.

He said he was not surprised when Cimatu was chosen because "everything considered, in the view of the President, General Cimatu is the best person for the job. That’s the sum of that."

Reyes reiterated that all the five candidates, especially the three finalists, are capable officers.

"All of them are capable and all of them were hoping that they would be chosen. But they are soldiers. They are gentlemen and officers. And they know that that is a presidential prerogative. So they have to follow," Reyes said.

He also stressed that the President’s decision to "tentatively" postpone Cimatu’s retirement until September could not be considered "inordinate" at all. - With a report from Paolo Romero