Palace backs Esperon policy Palace backs Esperon policy

06/18/2007

Malacañang yesterday expressed all-out support for the restrictions Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. is currently imposing on newly proclaimed Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, saying the AFP chief is but abiding by the rule of law.

During a telephone interview, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said Esperon is just doing his job in keeping a tight watch over Trillanes as he does not want to jeopardize the court-martial proceedings the latter is facing.

“I fully support General Esperon because the guy is just doing his job and he does not want to jeopardize the court-martial proceedings. He is very frank and he has no other motive against Trillanes, he is just doing his job,” Gonzales said.

He even advised Trillanes, in an apparent attempt to mock the senator, to author a law to reform court-martial proceedings so that he may get privileges as a legislator.

Gonzales said the government is not alarmed by the plan of Trillanes to investigate the involvement of the AFP in the string of political killings in the country, targeting mostly members of militant groups, saying the Arroyo government and the AFP are both ready to face a possible Senate probe on the issue.

“Why should we be afraid of that? The government is not involved in any of these killings and we are confident that the AFP would be able to defend itself from any Senate probe, if indeed it will push through,” he said.

Gonzales, however, claimed Trillanes may have a hard time in pursuing a probe on the matter as the newly-proclaimed senator is still facing a serious case of rebellion.

“Trillanes is still facing a case and is detained, so how could he perform his functions easily?” Gonzales said.

The National Security Adviser also described as “unfair” Trillanes’ statement describing the AFP as maintaining “death squads.”

Gonzales said Trillanes is being “judgmental” in issuing the statement, advising the senator to cast aside all his biases against the AFP first if he really wants push through with a probe on the issue.

“He is judgmental already, he must put all biases behind if he really wants to conduct a fair probe on the matter. The investigation has not yet started but he already has his own biases. That is not fair for us. Imagine, calling the AFP as (having) “death squads” I hope he will not prejudge the AFP because he was once a part of the institution,” he said.

Sherwin C. Olaes

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