AQUINO NOT BUYING BANGIT'S ASSURANCES OF CLEAN POLLS

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Noynoy Aquino is not buying the assurances by new Armed Forces chief of staff Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit of clean polls this May.

At a press conference here, Aquino said Bangit's appointment to the sensitive post may even be the start of a plan by the Arroyo government to stay in power beyond June 30.

"Hello, Garci has not been resolved. The Mayuga report has not been made public. Gen. Gudani's assertions were never threshed out. Then you put in someone closely identified with the administration. That is the president's prerogative subject to confirmation by the Commission on Appointments, but conveniently the CA is not in session," he said.

The 50-year old senator from Tarlac was referring to the Hello Garci scandal involving wiretapped conversations made public in 2005. The conversations indicated that Arroyo knew of a plot to cheat in the 2004 presidential elections.

Aquino noted Bangit is close to Mrs. Arroyo and a member of Philippine Military Academy Class 1978, which adopted Mrs. Arroyo as an honorary member.

"Mrs. Arroyo could have chosen to get someone perceived as neutral. We have a transition she should be managing as the outgoing president. But once again and consistently, she chose someone to advance her own interests," he said.

"Perhaps we should even be more worried if there are other changes, (such as) people not due to retire are retired and advanced to inconsequential posts," Aquino warned.

He also lamented teachers who will serve as Board of Election Inspectors in the elections have yet to receive proper training.

"Again these are causes for concern. You have so many reports coming in," he said.