The problem is Isafp chiefs report directly to Arroyo
Fe Zamora
Inquirer News Service
AWARE of the equipment given by the United Stares in the latter part of 2003, retired and active officers of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) pooh-poohed the flat-out denial of Brig. Gen. Marlu Quevedo, Isafp chief, that his group had the technical knowhow and the equipment to wiretap.
In fact, the Isafp would appear to have been regularly upgrading its monitoring equipment, from the analog system acquired in the '90s, to the digital interceptor acquired sometime in late 2001.
Shortly after the appointment of Quevedo's predecessor, Rear Adm. Tirso Danga, the latter conducted a briefing for a group of former Isafp chiefs. One of them recalled Danga crowing about "new equipment from the United States that could be used to monitor suspected terrorists."
The problem with Isafp, said an Inquirer source, was the practice of Isapf chiefs and other ranking officials reporting directly, or getting orders directly, from the commander-in-chief or from persons close to the President. The source noted that this "practice" was common among the three Isafp chiefs under President Macapagal-Arroyo, starting with Brig. Gen. Victor Corpus to Rear Adm. Tirso Danga and the incumbent Quevedo, who was appointed in September 2004 in an acting capacity and made permanent in January 2005.
The Isafp chiefs were also handsomely rewarded, the source also said, pointing out that they all got promoted while at Isafp.
'Food taster'
Quevedo apparently enjoys the confidence of President Arroyo even if Quevedo's father, according to an Inquirer source, had served as food taster to the late President Ferdinand Marcos. He reportedly found favor in the Palace through his close association with a general with ties to First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.
Quevedo proved his endurance by his continued stay as Isafp chief, despite Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita's announcement on June 7 that he would be replaced by Commodore Leonardo Calderon Jr. by the end of that month.
In fact, Quevedo was also relieved as "acting Isafp chief" in November, and would have been replaced by Brig. Gen. Fernando Mesa, who was named Isafp chief by then AFP chief of staff Gen. Efren Abu.
Unprecedented promotion
But the turnover was cancelled at the last minute, reportedly after Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz ruled that Quevedo stay on as "acting Isafp chief." The incident strained ties between Abu and Quevedo.
A few months later, Abu allegedly got back at Quevedo by not endorsing his promotion to the Board of Generals (BOG), according to a source. Quevedo fought back by complaining to a relative of a Malacanang official who, in turn, "ordered" Abu to promote Quevedo sans the BOG review.
Only one boss
Quevedo's alleged unprecedented promotion didn't sit well with Army officers, who believed Abu should have invoked the precedence of the BOG on promotions, according to sources.
In defense of Abu, another colonel declared emphatically: "In this organization, there is only one boss. When the commander-in-chief says promote, the chief of staff will promote."
In March, Abu revived the AFP Counter Intelligence Group (AFPCIG) reportedly to monitor corruption and destabilization activities in the AFP. By activating the AFPCIG, Abu also effectively subsumed, the functions of the Isafp counterintelligence unit called MIG 17 (Military Intelligence Group). MIG 21 had recorded the "Hello Garci" tapes.
At the Isafp anniversary last July 16, Quevedo was reportedly overheard telling his officers that he would not step down "while Abu is still around."
"The chief does not want Abu's name in his papers," an Isafp civilian employee told the Inquirer. Abu retired on Aug. 15, while Quevedo will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 in March next year.
Abu's official exit could not guarantee Quevedo's relinquishing the post to Calderon. A source noted that Quevedo would have difficulty getting an assignment, especially with just eight months to go before retirement. "At most, he would stay at Isafp until he retires in March," the source said.
[Calderon was recently named senior presidential adviser]
Privilege
Nothing much has changed at Isafp since the wiretapping scandal broke wide open in June. Lt. Col. Allen Capuyan has retained his post as chief of the Operations and Intelligence Division (OID) even while attending a required one-year course at the General Staff College.
The privilege given to Capuyan has soured officers who were required to go on leave from their posts while attending the GSC. One colonel, however, took consolation in the fact that Lt. Col. George Rabusa, who was also privileged to stay on as budget officer at the comptroller's office while attending the GSC, is facing charges of unexplained wealth before the Ombudsman.
'Bugging works'
But what's new about the wiretapping, anyway? A retired colonel who had served at Isafp for perhaps the longest time, said his group installed bugging devices in Malacanang just 30 days after President Manuel Roxas took his oath of office in 1946.
"It was purely for security reasons. We wanted to know what was going on in the office of the President every minute. He could be in danger from a visitor," he told the Inquirer.
Twenty years later, in the '60s, President Marcos summoned the colonel to a meeting in Malaca¤ang. "When Marcos pulled me to a corner, I knew then he wanted our conversation recorded. I should know, I set that bug there," he recalled with a laugh.
To test if the bug was still there, the retired colonel said he decided to say something that would pique the interest of those who were eavesdropping.
Months later, a woman who was connected with Malacanang asked him pointedly why he told the President that he was prostituting the Isafp. "That's exactly what I told the President. The bug worked," he said.
