After being hailed as heroes in the now much copied People Power Revolution of 1986, the Philippine military, or known as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is now under heavy fire and scrutiny amid
accusations of graft and corruption scandals that had surfaced over the last few weeks culminating in the Harakiri-style suicide of one of its former chief of staff and cabinet member Angelo Reyes.
A senate inquiry described by many as more of an “ Holy inquisition “ reminiscent of the cruel 13th century religious tribunal, it alleged that senior military members of the AFP including former chief of staff like Angelo Reyes received and pocketed millions of funds some of which should have gone to soldiers in need of provisions or ammo in the battlefields.
Instead, the inquiry was told by whistleblower Lt.Col.George Rabusa, former budget officer of the military, those millions including monthly payoffs of P5 million (roughly $250,000)went to Reyes and other senior military men.
He also alleged that Reyes also got an additional total of P150 million as “pabaon “ (sendoff money) for retiring from military service .
Last February 8,2011, the senate inquiry woke up to the news that Reyes, who also served in different positions as secretary of defense, energy and environment had shot himself through the heart in front of the grave of his parents in Marikina. Reyes, it was known adored and loved his mother so much that he made it a point to visit the cemetery plot regularly.
With his death, Reyes took with him whatever information he had to help
the on going inquiry but apparently, he became frustrated and disappointed at the way he was pictured during the course of the senate sessions.
According to close friend retired Navy commodore Rex Robles, it led to his depression and he chose to end it by death to spare his family from further
humiliation and disgrace.
To many of his comrades and others, his self-inflicted death meant that he
was the “sacrificial lamb “ to further save the institution that is the military from further destruction. Others said he did” the honorable thing “ by offering his life.
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25 years after, EDSA I of Feb.1986 have become an international template and inspiration for other nations to follow in their search for democracy . Look at Poland ”Velvet revolution “, Romania, the Berlin wall, Czechoslovakia and now Egypt.
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25 years ago, then Col. Gregorio “Gringo “ Honasan and his RAM boys (Reform the Armed Forces Movement ) were treated like rock star heroes.
Even then President Cory Aquino offered them government positions in her new administrations but they refused.
Even their godfather then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, who owns one of the country’s biggest business conglomerates, had a job waiting for them in one of his companies( Beatrice Marketing or Royal Match which makes the indispensable “posporo“) but Gringo et al also politely refused. Such were the ideals of the RAM boys.
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25 years later, times have changed. Gringo is now a senator. Some of his RAM boys have deserted him saying he had become a politician but others stuck with him believing that they can still “make a difference “. Can they ?
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25 years later, a clone of Gringo Honasan, Navy Lt. Antonio Trillanes is now a senator mainly on account of his exploits as the leader of the RAM-affiliated Magdalo military faction that rebelled against then President Gloria M. Arroyo. seizing Makati’s plush Oakwood hotel/apartment to dramatize their coup movement. He was jailed for 7 years and while incarcerated, made a run for public office and like a fairy tale story won mainly because Filipinos love an underdog and romanticized at the thought of a young officer cum knight in shining armor who could possibly save them from the clutches of a corrupt government.
It was this young senator also who many thought (rightly or wrongly)pushed
Gen Angelo Reyes to suicide by the way he confronted the latter at the senate hearing.
When he bellowed out at Reyes “you have no reputation to protect “ and tersely said “ this is a day of reckoning and you better get a good lawyer “ or something to that effect, it clearly showed that he was on a vendetta mode .
When Reyes asked that he be given a chance to clear his reputation or at least give his side, it was clear that Trillanes did not show any respect for a
Co-PMAer(they’re both graduates of the Philippine Military Academy) much more for a person his senior in the PMA or as a mistah. Oh by the way, among the senators, Trillanes was one of the biggest spenders of his budget for his senate office.
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But as a whole, the AFP with its officers and soldiers is a solid and good institution as shown by its past actions and achievements. There are only a “few bad men “ who puts the organization in a bad light.
When the soldiers run out of bullets and gas in their tanks and military truck while some pot bellied officers go on trips abroad and buy real estates, you can be sure some are dipping their hands in the cookie jars that the men and women of the AFP are supposed to partake of.
This has got to stop. Gen. Angelo Reyes has shown the hard way.
