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Pamalakaya sees Esperon transfer to defense department as game plan for Arroyo survival
Looming cabinet revamp meant to accommodate Esperon, says critics

The looming shake-up in the Cabinet of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was meant to accommodate outgoing Armed Forces Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. which unconfirmed reports says will be named Secretary of national defense upon his retirement on May 9, 2008.

“It is part of the political game plan. Mrs. Arroyo can’t live without Esperon. They need each other in the name of their respective political survival,” the leftwing fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said in a press statement.

In a dinner with reporters hosted by Palace officials in Malacañang sa Sugbo, the Chief Executive confirmed her plans to revamp her Cabinet next but kept mum on who among her present members of her official cabinet would be affected.

“Mrs. Arroyo should stop this endless and senseless guessing game. Her plans and decisions were already known to the public. She will name Esperon as the next defense chief, and DND Secretary Gilbert Teodoro will take over the position of retiring Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez. The Filipino people are not born yesterday, they are well informed about this political circus going on in the Macapagal-Arroyo administration,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap.

The Pamalakaya leader also said President Arroyo will most likely re-appoint former environment secretary and Presidential Management Chief of Staff Michael Defensor and other pro-administration senators who lost in the May 2007 elections to new cabinet posts. The one year prohibition for the appointment to government posts of losing candidates in the May 12 national elections will end on May 14.

“President Arroyo wants the militarist mindset of Esperon to rule in the defense department for the next two and half-years. Her political survival is the main agenda why she will appoint the outgoing AFP chief to the defense portfolio,” Pamalakaya’s Hicap added.

The militant group predicted that Esperon as DND chief will surely face major political obstacles once President Arroyo officially names him as the new defense secretary. Pamalakaya said it is now preparing a position paper against his Esperon’s appointment to defense department and will challenge his appointment before the Commission on Appointment.

“Esperon should prepare for another battle royale. Anti-Arroyo forces from left to right will surely deluge CA with position papers opposing Esperon’s appointment to DND. The AFP chief knows everybody hates him and does not trust him, including the idealistic young officers and decent thinking personnel of the AFP and the Philippine National Police,” Pamalakaya said.

As for Teodoro, the militant group said Malacañang said President Arroyo and the National Security Council will use his legal expertise to build up criminal cases against critics and political foes of the Arroyo administration. “That’s the purpose why he is being eyed to be the next justice secretary. To follow the legal prescriptions of Malacañang against critics of Mrs. Arroyo who want her out of the presidential palace. Again, that is part of the political game plan for survival,” the group added. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 01:19 | link | comments |

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