PRESS RELEASE
08 February 2011
With the shocking death of former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Angelo Reyes, the human rights group KARAPATAN commiserates and condoles with the family even as it expressed its regrets “that one uncovered trail of corruption within the AFP has been smeared by blood.”
“His death should bear on the conscience of the AFP, particularly its officers’ corps,” KARAPATAN spokesperson Jigs Clamor said.
“Reyes embodied the politicized military. He was the AFP chief when the bloody US-backed counter-insurgency Oplan Bantay-Laya was implemented. He was a key player in the EDSA Dos military withdrawal of support for Pres. Estrada, then he was politically appointed as secretary of various departments in the civilian bureaucracy under the Macapagal-Arroyo– from defense, to anti-crime, to environment, to local government, to energy, then a failed attempt to run in Congress under the party-list 1-Utak. The AFP leadership should rethink its role in society if his death would have relevance,” Clamor said.
“While we regret one unsolved mystery in the corrupt practices within the AFP, the on-going investigations into the AFP slush funds should be pursued in the interest of truth, justice, government accountability, and genuine civilian supremacy over the military,” Clamor added.
“With the serious charges hurled against him, he took his life upon his own hand rather than be devoured by shame for life. We leave it to the AFP to ponder whether it was honorable or not. But we hope the AFP honor their own by truly serving the people,” Clamor said.
Reference:
Jigs Clamor, Spokesperson, Karapatan
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I have no idea about how money is embessled by any government body,but it makes me grieve and very mad for the fact that I am a n employee earning a minimum wage with four children.My salary is given once a month and on top of that, I like many others in the company have topay our withholding taxes in order "to help our government".But waht for Christ's sake is happening to the money I pay every month?They are fed to crocodiles in the ssame government, in this same country that I am in!Please have pity on us laborers for our daily wages.You owe it to us to give us the services becauseI pay you …masakit po ang nangyayari but sana naman ,ang lahat ng garapal ang mukha at bampira sa pagsipsip ng kaban ng bayan…ng perang pinaghirapan namin….may your conscience haunt you……that small voice within you…listen to it…..
tama lang ng mabulaslas ang anomalya sa AFP at sa lahat ng sangay ng gobyerno para magkaron ng lesson ang mga taong nagba balak gumawa ng anomalya sa atin lipunan. sila ay hinirang upang mag lingkod sa tao at sa ating bayan, hindi upang gamiting ang kanilang posisyon para pagsamantalahan ang inang bayan. nagpakamatay si reyes dahil sa guilt na hindi niya kinaya, alam din kc nia na in the end lalabas din ang katotohanan…mas minabuti nia kitilin ang sariling buhay kesa sa mabulok sa bilangguan at maging kahiya hiya sa harap ng madla. isa pang dapat alamin ang mga kinamkam na yaman ng mga ARROYO! ang tatapang ng hiya!
Yes, I agree with the statement that the investigation should be pursued "in the interest of truth, justice, government accountability, and genuine civilian supremacy over the military" ..not pursued out of vengeance as is clearly the motive of Senator Jinggoy Estrada. On corruption, "let he who is not corrupt cast the first stone", so to speak. And who is this Jinggoy…isn't his family famous for corruption? Seeing him on TV questioning Reyes makes me puke…and there are a lot more like him in the congressional hearings being conducted.