MANILA,
Nov. 22 (PNA) --Malacañang said it is happy that three presidential
aspirants have asked for the extension of Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen.
Victor Ibrado, since “they are agreeing to the choice of President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.”
In
a radio interview from Dumaguete City Saturday, Press Secretary Cerge
Remonde said the Palace was also happy “with the level of confidence
they are giving to our Chief of Staff, which means that our armed
forces have become independent, apolitical and professional.”
Three
senators-turned-presidential aspirants have asked for the extension of
Ibrado until after the 2010 elections. These are Senators Manuel
Villar, Benigno Aquino III and Francis Escudero who have signed a
manifesto urging the President to extend Ibrado’s term to ensure
stability and continuity in the leadership of the Armed Forces during
the crucial May 2010 elections, which will determine her successor.
Ibrado earlier said the matter of his extension rests on his Commander in Chief, Mrs. Arroyo.
Ibrado
is the 39th chief of staff of the 120,000-strong Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP). He is a member of the Philippine Military Academy
(PMA) “Magilas” Class 1976. He replaced his classmate, Gen. Alexander
Yano, who was named Ambassador to Brunei. (PNA)
Disclaimer: Our readers' views do not reflect the opinion of Positive News
Media. All posts should conform to our submission guidelines. Otherwise,
they will be deleted. We encourage readers to report to us any post that
doesn't follow our stated submission policy.
