Press Release
January 25, 2008

SEN. MAR ROXAS' STATEMENT ON ESPERON TERM EXTENSION

"I do not support the extension of the AFP Chief of Staff unless there are urgent reasons of national security that government must inform the public.

"First, the AFP is a deeply hierarchical organization whose morale depends on officers moving up the career ladder in a regular and predictable way.

"Second, ever since the Martial Law years, extensions of generals have acquired the stigma of politics.

"Third, if the reason for extension is a destabilization threat, it may even aggravate such threat rather than contain it.

"Fourth, we are projecting an AFP that lacks a pool of professional leaders at the top. Parang bata-bata system. Hindi maganda para sa security ng bayan ito.

"Most importantly, it damages morale and undermines effort to professionalize the military. No one is indispensible.

"Effectively, the President is saying that she trusts only him to hold the reins of power now, that the State's security is dependent on his continuing on. This is problematic, because it means she doesn't trust the AFP as an institution, and that bata-bata, palakasan system is encouraged."

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