‘Lacson’s influence in his generation of retired senior officers in the police and military may hold the key
in reminding those in the active service to embrace true nationalism to preserve our democratic institutions regardless of the costs.’
SEN. Ping Lacson has tapped the Reform Party of former AFP chief Renato de Villa as his vehicle in his presidential bid. Lacson knows too well, and most of us are also aware, that the military could be “used” during national elections by presidential contenders here and in several countries.
Persistent reports of the AFP leadership visiting towns and cities in Mindanao with “gifts” during PGMA’s election bid in 2004 had come out in the news media. Former AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon flatly denied such claims.
To recall, PGMA had taken over the remaining years of the presidency of Erap Estrada after he was ousted in EDSA 2. Despite the ban on presidents serving two terms, she won in her petition before the Supreme Court to run against the formidable FPJ in the “Hello, Garcia” heavily tainted elections.
Lacson may have found an alternative in influencing the armed forces the right way to protect his and vice-presidential candidate Tito Sotto’s votes against any covert machinations of the military and police.
But can the Reform Party become a strong equalizer to prevent today’s pampered military from intervening in what may yet turn out to be, as some opposition stalwarts warned, “the most fraudulent elections ever?” The Reform Party is led mostly by retired generals and officers aligned with former President FVR, a former defense secretary and AFP chief.
Lacson’s influence in his generation of retired senior officers in the police and military may hold the key in reminding those in the active service to embrace true nationalism to preserve our democratic institutions regardless of the costs.
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From Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF) Pastor Danny Urquico’s FB post : “Twenty-one year-old Sydney McLaughlin is now the only woman in history to run under 52 seconds in the women’s 400-meter hurdles and one of the preeminent faces of the new generation of track and field athletes. She just set a new world record and received the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics. Her words reflect her faith as she boldly said, ‘Records come and go, the glory of God is eternal’ and ‘I no longer run for self-recognition but to reflect His perfect will that is already set in stone. I don’t deserve anything. But by grace, through faith, Jesus has given me everything.’”
