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.
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.