Sen. Loren Legarda Sunday urged President Arroyo to extend the term as armed forces chief of staff of Gen. Victor Ibrado, who is scheduled to retire on March 10.

“President Arroyo should give the next President to be elected on May 10 the privilege and prerogative to designate the new chief of staff,” Loren said.

“General Ibrado’s extension as AFP chief of staff for a period up to and beyond the May 10 elections would also boost the Filipino people’s confidence in the integrity of the elections on May 10,” said Loren.

For Loren, the appointment of a new chief of staff at this point in time could be considered by the people as a “highly partisan move” intended to influence the results of the elections.

She recalled that many people lost their faith in the integrity of the 2004 presidential elections when it was revealed that the President had bypassed officers considered “uncooperative” to the administration and promoted others to strategic positions that enabled them to “influence” the results of the elections.

This was revealed during the investigation of the “Garci tape” that showed some officers allegedly participating in electoral frauds in Mindanao. Loren, who was running for vice president and her running mate for president, Fernando Poe Jr., lost in that election allegedly due to massive “dagdag-bawas” (add-collect) fraud.

Loren said that the appointment of a new chief of staff who is lower in seniority than other officers would “cause low morale and dissatisfaction among the officer corps and even the rank-and-file.”