Smarting from the incessant criticism of his work style and
uncommon closeness to President Benigno Aquino III, Defense Secretary Voltaire
Gazmin said there were some in government who would love to take over the
defense portfolio from him and they were behind the smear campaign against him.
“I guess there are sectors that would want to put a wedge
between myself and the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Of all the criticisms leveled against him, the one that irks
him the most is the suggestion that he dictates on the President in the
appointment of key military positions.
Some of the secretary’s critics refer to the Board of
Generals, the recommendatory body chaired by the AFP chief of staff, the “Board
of Gazmin.”
Gazmin said this was unfair to the appointees and most
especially to President Aquino who is being pictured as a “weakling.” He said
Mr. Aquino was in fact a “decisive leader” who knows how to choose his
appointees well.
The talk in the defense community is that Gazmin tends to
overrule most of the senior military officers and key defense officials who
were either his former junior officers or who served under his staff command
when he was in the active service.
Gazmin described himself as a “strict” commander. “My
military bearing is sometimes overbearing. I am really very strict,” he said.
He admitted that there were times during planning sessions
or even during operations when he had “stepped on the shoes” of the AFP chiefs,
like Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, who was once his platoon commander.
“But when I do that, I apologize to him and then I just
(follow up) and consult, and ask what the course of action is,” Gazmin said.
According to Gazmin, even if today’s military commanders
were once his junior officers, he expected them to debate with him and push
their own plans for their service commands because they are the end users.
“I am just a policymaker,” he said.
He said he also believed everyone was “equal when it comes
to discussions.”
“Everyone is given the privilege to argue their case. At the
end of the day, it is our decision, it is the decision of the group. If we
fail, it is everyone’s failure,” Gazmin said.
He said that when he gave an official a dressing down, it
meant that he valued the person’s work and it was not because he wanted to
embarrass the person. “When I ignore you, that’s when you should start thinking
of your performance,” he said.
Gazmin was also criticized for staying in the background
during last year’s security crisis in Zamboanga City
But he argued that he did not need to be in the limelight or
be his own spokesperson because his job is to preside over discussions on the
table and ensure that decisions are executed well.
Last year, it was also rumored that Gazmin was planning to
give up the defense portfolio.
Not so. He is not about to desert the President, the son of
Ninoy and Cory Aquino whom he had served for much of his military career.
“I will step down only when the President tells me to step
down. And when I feel that I cannot perform anymore then I will tell the
President that I cannot do the work anymore. But for as long as I can do it, I
will stick it out with him. And I will serve him until the very end,” Gazmin
said.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/578263/gazmin-critics-driving-wedge-with-aquino
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.