By Florante S. Solmerin

ARMY chief Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit, who was the alleged beneficiary of the so-called “Operational Plan August Moon” (OPLAN August Moon), yesterday said it is “non-existent” as there is no such thing as restiveness in the rank and file of the military at present.

“[That’s] is non-existent. The Philippine Army only came to know about it in the news. The real intention of the persons or group behind this misinformation is to confuse the people, create friction in the military, and sow divisiveness among the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the end in view of destabilizing the government,” Bangit said.

He issued his reaction over reports that he would be allegedly installed military chief from a “forced retirement” by Chief-of-Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado in preparation for the administration’s plan to change the Constitution.

The reports also alleged that this was the reason why almost all the members of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) of Class ’78, to which Bangit belongs, have been currently installed into key positions in the military and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The group has adopted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as their honorary member.

“The Philippine Army will not be distracted by this adverse news instead we will remain committed on our sworn duty to protect the nation and its people. It has a job to do and a mission to accomplish which is to defeat communist insurgency by 2010.”

“It is quite unfair for AFP officials, particularly general officers who are judiciously doing their job to be dragged into such kind of adverse allegation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ibrado laughed off the so-called Oplan and appealed to the public there is no cause for alarm.

“The guidance of the chief of staff is for our soldiers not to get affected by this kind of, obviously, intrigues in an attempt to politicize the military. Gen. Ibrado is telling our soldiers to focus on their mission,” military spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said.

“Gen. Ibrado also calls on political quarters to spare the military from politics. We’ve a mission to accomplish and mandate to implement,” he added.

Ibrado will retire on March 10.