When President Duterte appointed two former military officials to his Cabinet last week, some quarters—especially left-leaning groups—were quick to brand the Chief Executive a “fascist”. However, this purported militarization of the Cabinet is necessary if the administration wants to maintain its stability, an expert said.
“It’s called political insurance,” political analyst Ramon C. Casiple of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform said. “The administration is [simply] consolidating power due to what it perceives as destabilization from its opposition.”
Destabilization had been the word of mouth of Malacañang’s attack dogs in the past two months, in response to the impeachment complaint filed by Party-list Rep. Gary C. Alejano of Magdalo against Duterte that was trashed by the House of Representatives on Monday.
“The opposition comes partly from former military men,” Casiple told the BusinessMirror, referring to Alejano and Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV, staunch critics of Duterte and failed mutineers. With this, it is important for Duterte to tap on military men also to secure the support of the Armed Forces. “It’s not militarization or the military making a move to capture power,” Casiple stressed.
Last week Duterte appointed military men Roy A. Cimatu to head the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Eduardo M. Año to take over the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Cimatu replaced rejected Environment Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez, while Año filled in the post left vacant by dismissed DILG chief Ismael D. Sueno.Cimatu and Año are among the several military men in Duterte’s “junta”, a description the Chief Executive jokingly labeled his Cabinet last week.
Other military men in Duterte’s Cabinet are Defense Secretary Delfin S. Lorenzana, Immigration Commissioner Jaime H. Morente, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Chief Isidro S. Lapeña and National Security Adviser Hermogenes C. Esperon Jr. This was condemned by groups, mostly left leaning, saying the appointments of Cimatu and Año are but proof of Duterte’s “fascist” tendencies.
In a text message to the BusinessMirror, public-governance expert Maria Fe Villamejor-Mendoza of the University of the Philippines said Duterte’s recent appointments are “opening the portal toward a possible dictatorship”.
“He wants to be ‘armed’ with military men who would form part of his junta,” Villamejor-Mendoza feared. In a statement, the Communist Party of the Philippines criticized Duterte’s joke about forming a junta now that he had at least 10 military men in key positions of the government. “Indeed, the military clique is now among the biggest inside the administration,” the statement read.
The rebel group also feared that peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front will be affected given the automatic bias of military men against communists.
“Lorenzana has gone to the extent of openly standing against the Duterte’s regime policy of peace talks. He has issued statements and threats against peace negotiators,” the statement added.