Ex-police, military officers back Noynoy’s bid, call for clean polls

(Update 3:34 PM) A group of retired military and police officials who served the late president Corazon Aquino on Wednesday announced support for the candidacy of her son, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III. The Liberal Party standard bearer possesses "strength of character, the moral uprightness and selfless love for the Filipino people," the group said in its manifesto of support, signed by 20 former officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) the and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The retired officers called their group the EDSA 1986 Veterans Support Movement, as the signatories were all in active service during the popular uprising that toppled the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. The younger Aquino has the “courage and unswerving determination to dislodge the well-entrenched, vested interest groups in our country," said retired Maj. Gen. Ramon Montaño, who belongs to the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1958. The group said its members numbered to about 100 retired PNP and AFP officials nationwide who served under the Marcos regime up until that of his successor, Aquino's mother — the late President Corazon Aquino. The retired officers said apart from Aquino, they were also supporting his runningmate Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II. The retired servicemen also said they have "touched base" with active police and military officials to ensure clean and honest elections on May 10. They did not elaborate who these active officials were. “We are prepared to protect the people’s vote and ensure each vote is counted," Montaño said at a press conference at the Metropolitan Club in Makati City. Influence The former Philippine Constabulary chief also revealed having had recent talks with PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa, who assured him of a peaceful conduct of the upcoming elections — amid speculations that the military and the police could be tapped to rig the polls. Montaño later told GMANews.TV that while he could "influence" active military and police officials into supporting his candidates, he would just let them "follow their conscience not just because I told them." Verzosa was still a junior officer and served directly under Montaño when the latter was still chief of the Capital Regional Command (CAPCOM). Earlier, a military official confirmed reports indicating Aquino met with alumni of the PMA Class of 1977. Some members of the batch are allegedly disgruntled after being “bypassed" by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who appointed military officials from younger batches, such as AFP chief of staff Gen. Delfin Bangit from the PMA Class of 1978. Retired PNP head Director General Recaredo Sarmiento said their support movement would tap other groups composed of retired policemen, soldiers, civilians, and civic organizations to monitor the coming elections. "I have already spoken to them and alerted them about the elections. We will be trying to replicate what we did in 2004," Sarmiento told GMANews.TV after the press conference, referring to his group's election-monitoring efforts in the 2004 national elections, which was tainted by fraud allegations. Apart from Montaño and Sarmiento, other retired officials who joined the movement were Lieutenant Generals Voltaire Gazmin, Raul Urgello, Eduardo Batenga, and Romeo Dominguez; Captain Jaime Balansay, Brig. Gen. Thomas Manlongat, and Lt. Col. Jaime Gopilan. Retired Police Deputy Directors Reynaldo Acop and Deputy Director General Romeo Odi; retired Police Directors Lucas Managuelod, Ernesto Belen, Enrique Buluan, and Antonio Salvacion; Police Superintendent Francisco Zubia, Chief Superintendents Francisco Zubia, George Aliño and Teofilo Melliza. The retired officials said they would be fielding people to monitor the conduct of elections in different precincts in the country to ensure that vote padding and shaving, commonly known in Philippine elections as “dagdag-bawas," would be prevented. They said they might even use their own cell phones to take pictures of election returns that would be posted outside voting precincts. “We appeal to our comrades still serving in the AFP and PNP to join us in this crusade for reforms by staying true to the [1987] Constitution and resist the pressure of the present cabal of political leaders," the group said. Retired police and military officers also appealed to the Commission on Elections, the Justice Department, and public school teachers to “give political power back to the people by ensuring the coming 2010 polls to be honest, peaceful, and orderly." Critics doubted Mrs. Arroyo’s victory in the 2004 presidential polls, alleging that she purportedly had the help of some military officials in rigging poll returns so she could win against fiercest rival actor Fernando Poe Jr., who died in December that year. Later, the military officials who were linked to the fraud were labeled “Garci Generals" because their names were mentioned in the controversial “Hello, Garci?" wiretapped conversations (insinuating an operation to rig poll results) between a woman perceived to be Mrs. Arroyo and a man presumed to be former Elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, who had gone into hiding. - Sophia Regina M. Dedace, LBG, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV