Bangit-Verzosa meet not ordered by Arroyo: Palace
Saturday, March 20, 2010
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MALACAÑANG appealed to the public Saturday not to dignify speculations surrounding a meeting between Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Lieutenant General Delfin Bangit and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa.
Presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo made the appeal as he belied claims that Mrs. Arroyo ordered Bangit, who is perceived to be close to her, to meet with Verzosa.
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“Let’s not add meaning to the meeting. Let the media speculate on the meeting but as far as we are concerned, it was a show of neighborliness between the AFP and the PNP,” Saludo said on government-run dzRB radio.
He added Bangit was merely showing goodwill to Verzosa when he went over to Camp Crame from Camp Aguinaldo to meet with the PNP chief.
When asked if Mrs. Arroyo ordered Bangit to reach out to Verzosa, Saludo said she did not.
Bangit is perceived to be close to Mrs. Arroyo, being a member of Philippine Military Academy Class 1978, which adopted Mrs. Arroyo as an honorary member.
“Definitely she did not order Bangit to do so. Bangit was appointed months later than Verzosa,” he said.
Saludo also dismissed questions on the timing and agenda of the meeting, amid speculations that Mrs. Arroyo is plotting to stay in power beyond June 30.
“Why don’t you ask the two generals? They were the ones who met. And we at the Palace are 30 minutes away from Camps Crame and Aguinaldo,” he said.
Earlier, Bangit and Verzosa had discussed security matters related to the May 10 polls in what aides described as a “very cordial” meeting at Camp Crame.
A military officer who did not want to be identified had described the meeting as “the AFP reaching out to the PNP.”
The officer said the courtesy call made by Bangit was “unusual” and that the military “wanted to convey something” in seeking out the meeting.
The meeting was the first between the two generals since Bangit’s controversial appointment as AFP chief and followed statements made by Verzosa that he would not back any military move to install President Arroyo as holdover president if the May 10 presidential election failed to produce any winner. (JMR/Sunnex)
