MANILA, Philippines — The groundswell of support from former military and police generals for presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo refutes the attempt to red-tag the popular Vice President, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said yesterday.
“Judging by reports, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is already a battalion of former military and police colonels and generals that has gone proudly pink,” Trillanes said in a statement.
Last Monday, Robredo met with former generals of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP), days after a politician, embarrassed by the huge crowds in Robredo’s rallies, “tried to paint the massive sea of pink as red.”
“Former AFP and PNP chiefs, all anti-insurgency veterans, have come out for Leni, and their support belies the fake news peddled by conspiracy theorists,” said Trillanes, who is gunning again for a Senate seat under the banner of Robredo.
“If they believe in the black propaganda against Leni, they will not sign a manifesto, they will not campaign for Leni,” the former senator added.
At a media briefing last Monday, retired police Major Gen. Generoso Cerbo Jr. and retired AFP Major Gen. Domingo Tutaan confirmed that “there are a lot” of former AFP and PNP chiefs-of-staff and other senior officers supporting Robredo’s candidacy.
The former generals said they support Robredo because of her “moral strength” and “integrity” and that the Vice President has “the program of action... that would address the various things regarding national defense and security.”
Cerbo said Robredo’s mantra, “Sa gobyernong matapat, angat-buhay ang lahat (In an honest government, all lives are uplifted),” is not just a slogan, but can be felt by the people in their daily lives.
Trillanes pointed out that if Robredo’s critics “have even an iota of doubt on her ability to lead, the retired generals will not put their hard-won reputation on the line by saying that the Vice President is ready to step up as commander-in-chief.”
Trillanes also noted that those attempting to change the narrative of the huge Robredo rallies by slandering the participants as “either paid or red” are “taking a leaf out of the martial law propaganda handbook.”
“As we love to say, that story is like the story of Tallano – a deception that has no basis,” he said in English and Filipino.
The senatorial aspirant underscored that former generals are “consumers, writers, assemblers” of intelligence reports, “so they know that the black propaganda against the Vice President is ‘bad intelligence.’”
Before the March 7 statement of Cerbo and Tutaan, four retired AFP chiefs-of-staff – Emmanuel Bautista, Jessie Dellosa, Hernando Iriberri and Eduardo Oban Jr. – also came out to support Robredo.
As this developed, Robredo has encouraged her supporters to be critical of her governance style if she wins in the coming May 9 elections.
During a meeting with volunteers and supporters in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur last Tuesday, the Vice President asked her supporters not to be afraid to criticize and scrutinize her policies if she becomes president.
“If you elect us, what we expect is that you will be vigilant and not hesitate to call us out if we commit mistakes,” she said in Filipino.
“Because if we do not listen to criticism, then we will just be similar to politicians who we say we no longer want,” she added.
The presidential aspirant said she wants the public to act as the check and balance of her administration as well as to keep track of the promises she made during the campaign.
“Our request for your help is not just during the campaign, but also once we are elected … you will still be part of governance,” she added.
Robredo has repeatedly expressed support for participatory governance, vowing to establish people’s councils to involve the public in policymaking.
The Vice President yesterday continued with her campaign in Caraga region, holding various activities in Bayugan City in Agusan del Sur, Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte and Butuan City. – Janvic Mateo, Robertzon Ramirez, Elizabeth Marcelo