BY VICTOR REYES AND JP LOPEZ
BAGUIO CITY — Senate President Manuel Villar
on Friday said the Philippine Military Academy Alumni
Association Inc. had cancelled his appearance as keynote speaker
for Saturday’s PMA alumni homecoming here but withdrew the
cancellation after "many" opposed the decision.
He said "higher authorities" were behind the
move to block his speaking engagement.
The invitation was given to him last
December. He was informed of the cancellation "informally."
"Actually binawi na nga pero binalik lang.
Ayoko nang palakihin yun," Villar said.
Villar, an adopted member of PMA Class ‘77,
said his running under the opposition senatorial slate in the
May 14 elections might be the reason the PMAAAI leadership moved
to cancel his appearance.
He said he was informed of the cancellation
after he declared he was running as an independent candidate.
Villar is an adopted candidate of the
opposition. He is head of the Nacionalista Party and a member of
the Wednesday Group that also includes Senators Joker Arroyo,
Ralph Recto, Francis Pangilinan and Vice President Noli de
Castro.
Pangilinan has also been adopted by the
opposition. Arroyo and Recto are running under the
administration ticket.
"Hindi ko alam ang rason bagamat parang
timing na tayo ay nag-declare ng independent stance… Hindi naman
siguradong dahil dun. masyado lamang dikit ang insidente," he
said.
On the PMAAAI decision to reinstate him as
keynote speaker, Villar said: "Hindi siguro lahat naman ay
sumasang-ayon na bawiin yun at palagay ko at the end of the day
na-realize rin ng karamihan na hindi tama sapagkat ang Senado
naman ang aking nire-represent dito at hindi si Manny Villar
lamang bilang isang senador."
Villar said his appearance as keynote speaker
was endorsed by Class ‘77.
In Dagupan City Friday, Villar said he felt
the PMMAAI was pressured into canceling his appearance.
Villar declined to identify where the
pressure came from.
Sources said Executive Secretary Eduardo
Ermita directed Class ‘77 not to entertain Villar or even put up
welcome streamers but the class declined.
Despite the incident, Villar said he still
has high respects for the PMA. He said he will ask the military
during his address to remain apolitical.
Police on Friday morning tore down Villar’s
campaign posters along Loakan road leading to Fort del Pilar,
home of the PMA.
Villar assured AFP Chief Gen. Hermogenes
Esperon he would not campaign at the PMA.
"I was invited (to deliver a keynote message)
as Senate president and not as an opposition candidate. Besides,
the invitation was given to me last December," Villar said.
Also torn down were the campaign materials of
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a member of PMA Class ‘71 who is running
also under the opposition ticket.
"We started tearing down the campaign posters
two days ago. On orders of Comelec, we are dismantling posters
that are not in the common posters area," said Chief Supt. Raul
Gonzales, director of the Cordillera Administrative Region
police.
LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE
In Metro Manila, Lacson led the dismantling
of his posters to show "leadership by example."
Lacson said the Commission on Elections was
late in issuing guidelines on the posting of campaign materials.
He said he received the official Comelec
guidelines on common poster areas only on Feb. 14, when his
supporters have already posted campaign materials.
"Now that the Comelec has issued clear
guidelines on the matter, I gave Chairman Benjamin Sr. Abalos my
personal assurance that all of my supporters will follow the
guidelines set by the Comelec," he said.
The Comelec has identified plazas, public
markets and barangay centers as designated common poster areas
while posting in private establishments must have the expressed
consent of the owners.
Lacson said dismantling his campaign posters
around Metro Manila hurt his pocket.
"Medyo mahal din ‘yong mga posters," he said.
NO CAMPAIGNING
Esperon said candidates are prohibited from
posting campaign materials on walls of military camps "as that
would mean, that could mean our involvement in their candidacy."
"We would like to appeal to candidates not to
do any campaigning while inside the grounds of Fort del Pilar…
We want to go to our alma mater grounds simply for homecoming
purposes, not for any political or partisan activities," he
said.
Esperon said commanders of the major
services, unified area commanders and camp commanders have been
instructed to "prohibit the entry into camps of any political
candidate without distinction, except for official business."
"They (candidates) can come in but they
cannot gather people and talk to them as an assembled group and
start campaigning," he said.
The PMA took steps to prevent the smuggling
of campaign materials during the homecoming which is expected to
gather about 2,000 alumni and 4,000 family members.
PMA spokesman Capt. Dennis Solomon said
military policemen will be posted at the gates to check all
vehicles entering the compound for possible campaign materials,
including t-shirts.
"All vehicles would be subjected to
inspection and if ever we see campaign materials, we are going
to confiscate them," Solomon said.
Villar’s vehicle will not be spared, he said.
PMA’S APPEAL
Distribution of campaign t-shirts, which
Solomon said "are one of explicit campaign materials," will also
be prohibited in the PMA premises.
Maj. Gen. Leopoldo Maligalig, PMA
superintendent, appealed to the alumni not to inject politics
into the event.
"We really would like to make this a fun
filled day, some sort of a family day and just pay homage to the
alma matter," he said.
Other alumni who are running for the Senate
are Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan (Class `71) and Lt. (s.g.) Antonio
Trillanes IV (Class `95).
Honasan is running as an independent and
Trillanes under the opposition ticket.
Both are detained in connection with alleged destabilization
moves. – With Dennis Gadil
