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Sunday, June 12, 2005
Retired RAM general asks: Honor legal procedures
By Mia E. Abellana
CEBU CITY -- Calls for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's resignation may be a bit "drastic" at this time, while an impeachment is favorable "if done the right way."
A retired police general, who once joined failed military coups in 1987 and 1989, expressed these views, amid allegations of cheating and involvement in jueteng operations against President Arroyo.
Former Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 director Tiburcio Fusilero, interviewed in his home last Friday, said everyone should be made aware of the issues concerning the President.
"I am saddened myself because we did this Edsa thing before just to get away from a dictator, hoping that we will have a respite and we can move forward. But after three administrations, murag niatras man ta og samot ani (we seem to keep sliding back)," he told RPN News.
Fusilero said he favors an impeachment but only if all procedures are followed, adding that the Filipinos "deserve" this.
Fusilero, a member of the Reformed Armed Forces Movement (RAM), said he has not heard of a group actively preparing for another coup d'etat, adding that RAM members would be able to detect such things.
Though there were allegations of poll fraud in Cebu, Fusilero said these were never authenticated.
RAM took part in serving as an election watchdog in the last polls, but Fusilero said the group did not have enough connections to get to the bottom of the reports of cheating.
Asked on the possibility of the military takeover, Fusilero does not agree with this.
"In my experience with the military, our exposure as a whole would not qualify us to govern. The military by itself, medyo di pa kaayo prepared," he said, though he pointed out that they could easily win.
"Mas samot kagubot kung military ang modala (Chaos would prevail if the military takes over)," he added.
As to calls for a revolutionary government as raised by retired general Fortunato Abat, Fusilero believes Abat's group was just airing their grievances.
"As a Filipino, it's our duty to tell our leaders kung naa gyu'y sayop so that it will be corrected. But that's not the reason nga ato gyung gub-on ang gobiyerno," Fusilero pointed out.
He said he still trusted the government as an institution, but has doubts on the way its leaders make decisions.
"Let's give it time. We have our legal procedures. Let's give it a chance. If there is clear and blatant disregard of all these procedures, that's the time na murag masuko na sad ta," he said. (Sun.Star Cebu/Sunnex)
(June 12, 2005 issue)
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Arroyo refuses to resign