Delay in promotion of Army general in Mamasapano raid draws flak

COTABATO CITY—The bicameral Commission on Appointments’ deferment of the promotion of a military general following the bloody Mamasapano operation has been drawing flak from peace advocates in Mindanao.

On social media, some Facebook accounts owned by these peace advocates now use photos of Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, chief of the 6th Army Infantry Battalion, as profile images, which they said manifested their expression of silent protest to the move—initiated by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

Pangilinan’s promotion to lieutenant-general was stalled at the CA at the behest of Cayetano last week.

“I know it’s a disappointment for you today, but I hope you understand that as you didn’t want to make a mistake, we also don’t want to make a mistake,” Cayetano told Pangilinan then.

For the peace advocates, Pangilinan was made to suffer for his bias towards the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“Cayetano is denying the promotion of soldiers who are risking their lives in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao in exchange for his own political popularization and for political self-interest,” Jokey Solaiman, a government employee, said.

Prof. Octavio Dinampo, a peace worker in Sulu, said for doing his job, Pangilinan is now being punished with the denial of a well-deserved promotion.

Lawyer Suharto Ambolodto of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) has described Pangilinan as among the finest Army generals.

“Not everyone is given the honor to stand on a post to keep everybody safe. Not everyone is honored with the burden of command. Not everyone bear the burden of command well. God bless MGen Edmundo Pangilinan, one of the finest Army General in the Philippines,” Ambolodto said on a Facebook post.

Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu said the Provincial Peace and Order Council even passed on Thursday a resolution expressing the province’s “voice of concurrence to Pangilinan’s promotion.”

Assam Ulangkaya, a government employee and former journalist, said: “Gen Pangilinan sir, your stalled promotion (because of) Sen. Alan Cayetano’s opposition is just a temporary setback. You gained the respect of all peace loving people in the region. Our prayer is that you will eventually win your well-deserved promotion.”