AFP ‘spokesman’ didn’t lose his post, after all

MANILA, Philippines—Beleaguered military public affairs chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc will get to keep his job after all.

Armed Forces spokesperson Col. Restituto Padilla, Jr. on Friday said Cabunoc has not been relieved contrary to media reports, including a story that came out in the Inquirer on Thursday.

It is not true that Cabunoc has been relieved, Padilla said.

“He’s staying. He continues to do the job in the same capacity,” he said.

Cabunoc became controversial after he engaged netizens in a social media debate over several issues involving the military, particularly the one where the AFP was criticized for appearing to have sided with US Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton when the family of his alleged victim, Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude, stormed the AFP compound to get to where the suspect US Marine was being detained.

But even before that, Cabunoc raised some eyebrows after he limited media and public access to the AFP Public Affairs Office (PAO). The PAO is the most open of all military offices owing to the fact that it disseminates information to the public.

Coming under attack from netizens, Cabunoc and even AFP Chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang became the subject of memes that made fun of their statements and actions.

Cabunoc had asked for an investigation into the dissemination of the memes, suspecting that they were created by military officers themselves.

Padilla assured the public that the investigation did not cover civilians.

According to Padilla, Cabunoc himself has said that he would “restrain himself from taking part in social media.”

Well-placed sources in the military had told the Inquirer that Cabunoc was on his way out as public affairs chief. He would either return to the Army to head another unit, or go on a study leave abroad starting in January, the sources said.

The sources maintained that their information was correct but Cabunoc himself texted the Inquirer yesterday saying this reporter’s sources were “misinformed.”

Meanwhile, Catapang on Friday welcomed the staggered ceasefire declared by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) during the Christmas season and the January visit here of Pope Francis.

Catapang said he ordered his men to stay alert for possible NPA attacks on the days when the CPP-NPA is not observing a cease-fire.

On Wednesday, the CPP-NPA Central Committee declared its own cease-fire starting at 12:01 a.m. of Dec. 24, 2014 to 11:59 p.m. of Dec. 26, 2014; 12:01 a.m. of Dec. 31, 2014 to 11:59 p.m. of Jan. 1, 2015; and12:01 a.m. of Jan. 15, 2015 to 11:59 p.m. of Jan. 19, 2015.

The AFP earlier declared a unilateral cease-fire beginning at midnight of Dec. 18, 2014 to midnight of Jan. 19, 2015.

Catapang said he wished the communists had adopted an unbroken cease-fire schedule like the military’s. Because with the staggered schedule, the soldiers have to be on alert during the days when the communists are not observing a ceasefire, he said.

He said that military troops are under instruction to be prepared for any eventuality during the cease-fire lulls.

“We will be pro-active and ensure that our patrol bases and our camps are not attacked,” Catapang said.

“Hopefully, they will not do any untoward or offensive operation against our troops,” he added. With Cynthia D. Balana