AN organization of active and retired military and police generals yesterday told the Bantay Boto to stop accusing the military establishment of election irregularities.

"It is best for us to stop all these. Let us give our soldiers a break," said Association of Generals and Flag Officers (AGFO) chairman and president Brig. Gen. (ret.) Jaime Echeverria.

On Tuesday, Bantay Boto, an alliance of retired military and police generals, presented to media "Oplan Mercury Rising," a supposed government plan to cheat in 16 regions and provinces covering over 14 million votes.

Bantay Boto said Armed Forces chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. has issued a verbal directive to military commanders to ensure that the administration senatorial candidates will get a 12-0 win in the elections.

Bantay Boto said Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino also issued verbal instructions to troops to vote straight for Team Unity during the May 4 to 6 absentee voting in Tarlac, Samar and Davao Oriental.

Esperon and Tolentino have denied the charges.

Esperon on Wednesday said the group merely concocted the document to vilify the military establishment and the government.

Echeverria said, "The soldiers are again under attack for reasons they are not even aware of. Our soldiers are professional and motivated to serve our country and people even at the expense of their lives."

AGFO has at least 739 active and retired generals as officers and members.

Esperon and PNP Director General Oscar Calderon, are ex-officio chairmen of AGFO in their capacity as chiefs of the AFP and PNP.

Among Bantay Boto’s convenors are Navy Commodore Ismael Appari, former Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Dominguez, former Army chief Lt. Gen. Raul Urgellio, and former PNP chief Director General Recaredo Sarmiento.

Echeverria admitted AGFO learned of Oplan Mercury Rising only through media. "AGFO is not in a position to answer, much less confirm, the existence of this alleged plan," he said.

Echeverria appealed to all sectors of society to join AGFO in promoting honest, orderly and peaceful elections.

Sought for a comment, Appari said he is "an active lifetime member of AGFO."

He said AGFO does not have information on Oplan Mercury Rising "so they (AGFO leadership) should not meddle on this (cheating) issue."

Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said the Armed Forces had no hand in the alleged Oplan Mercury Rising.

His reason: "AFP’s oplans use Tagalog terms."

"I don’t think there is such a thing. At saka ang ganda ng pangalan, Mercury Rising. The mercury will only rise if the temperature is hot…Parang there’s semantics," he said.

"Seldom do we use English terms. We always use Tagalog (like) Bantay Laya. Ito English e… Nagkamali yata yung gumawa ng report. Hindi nila naisa-alang-alang na ang ginagamit ng AFP panay Tagalog terms," he said. – Victor Reyes and Regina Bengco