DAVOS, Switzerland, 27 January 2008 — Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday extended the term of the country’s armed forces chief, who was implicated in the alleged rigging of the 2004 presidential elections to ensure her victory. Arroyo also named retired Supreme Court justice Jose Melo to head the scandal-tainted Commission of Elections (Comelec), whose chairman was forced to resign last year amid corruption allegations.

Arroyo, who was in Davos for the World Economic Forum, said she has given Gen. Hermogenes Esperon a three-month extension to ensure the continuity of the government’s anti-communist insurgency campaign.

“There is a momentum in the campaign against the (communist) New People’s Army (NPA), and we expect this to snowball in the next several months, so it is very difficult to suddenly change horses when there is a momentum we have to sustain,” she said.

Esperon was supposed to retire on Feb. 9 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

Arroyo said incumbent army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano will replace Esperon as armed forces chief of staff on May 9.

Esperon’s extension came amid fears that anti-government forces might make another attempt to unseat Arroyo during the celebrations of the February 1986 people-power revolution that ousted the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Arroyo, who is perceived by a majority of Filipinos as the worst president the country ever had, has survived several coup attempts during her seven years in office, and her allies in Congress successfully blocked three impeachment bids against her.

She was emphatic when asked if Esperon lobbied for an extension.

“Oh no, in fact his relatives already from abroad came to Manila to celebrate his turnover, so now they have to go back and come back in three months time. No, no,” she said.

Arroyo flew out of Switzerland for Dubai heartened by business leaders’ rave reviews about the strong Philippine economy, and the country’s positive credit rating. She capped her hectic three-day visit to Switzerland, including a series of meetings with political and business leaders.

Tainted Poll Body

Melo, 67, replaced Benjamin Abalos, a very close ally of Arroyo, who resigned in late 2007 after he was accused of attempting to bribe senior economic officials to ensure that China’s ZTE Corp bag a multi-million-dollar government broadband deal contract.

Prior to his appointment as Comelec chairman, Melo led a commission that investigated into the extra-judicial killings of political activists in the Philippines.

Double Whammy

Opposition senators slammed the extension of Esperon’s term of office and warned that it was bad for the morale of other generals deserving a promotion.

Sen. Benigno Aquino III likened Arroyo’s move to a practice of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos who extended the terms of generals to ensure he was surrounded only by loyal commanders.

“It only shows that Esperon and other generals, including former President Fidel V. Ramos, hold her by the neck,’’ said Senate Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. Arroyo’s announcement followed Ramos’ publicized support for an extension of Esperon’s term.

Pimentel said extending Esperon’s term would cause massive disillusionment and Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, a former military chief of staff, concurred.

Sen. Manuel Roxas II said Arroyo only confirmed the supicion that “she trusts only him (Esperon) to hold the reins of power now that the state’s security is dependent on his continuing on.’’

Sen. Francis Escudero said: “By extending Esperon’s term, the president is telling the soldiers that there is no one better than Esperon in the military.’’

Sen. Panfilo Lacson described the twin appointments as a “double whammy to the Filipino people.”

“Both acts have one thing in common — election cheating in 2004,” he said.

He said Arroyo’s decision only shows that the Hello Garci controversy continues to hound her.

“As I have predicted, the Garci controversy will continue to hold Arroyo by the neck and there is no way she will be able to loosen the stranglehold imposed on her by personalities,” he said.

whose canine loyalty gives them sure ticket in getting what they want, without regard to the integrity of the institutions that they represent,” he said.

On Melo, Lacson said, he is “clearly” the choice of resigned Comelec Chairman Abalos as his replacement.

The Hello Garci controversy, which stemmed from a recorded conversation between the president and former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, almost caused the downfall of the Arroyo administration when the recordings became public in June 2005. (Input from Inquirer News Service & DPA)