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Thursday, September 29, 2005
Editorial: Muzzling the military
AT THE outset we have to acknowledge the fact that the military is well within its authority to dismiss two of its officials for testifying before the Senate in defiance of a written memo from their commander-in-chief not to appear before congressional hearings.
Never mind if the memo was issued quite swiftly at 1:00 a.m. yesterday several hours before the Senate hearing. The main problem being that even with the Congress "acquittal" it is apparent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wants to cover her tracks.
Also the Palace is reiterating that it wasn't rushed because it had its precedent in the Senate grilling and eventual detention of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales who had to seek medical attention due to high blood pressure.
For now of course we can safely rule out that the Palace memorandum was issued out of concern for the health of the military officials who are about as reasonably fit and are thus not prone to high blood pressure or heart problems like Gonzales.
More likely the order stemmed from what Marine Brigadier General Francisco Gudani claimed were concerted efforts by the Palace to cover up and erase all trails leading to them and serious questions on their alleged electoral cheating.
For local comparisons it's akin to what Mayor Vicente Emano of Cagayan de Oro did when he issued a memorandum requiring all department heads not to issue documents unless they sought permission from him for their release.
Never mind though Emano's fidelity to the Arroyo administration. The Executive Branch is coming out with all sorts of explanations (read excuses) for this memorandum with Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita saying this doesn't necessarily ban military officers from appearing before the Lower or Upper Houses.
Right--like they're banned from appearing in Congress when it concerns that darned electoral cheating and "Hello Garci" issues. As to anything else they're free to testify and even engage in chitchat with the lawmakers.
When officials like Gudani, who was mentioned in the Garci CDs, spill their guts never mind if it cost them their positions, you know something's not right and the acquittal before Congress was a sham.
It's not enough that the government tries to quell public denunciations and rallies with "calibrated pre-emptive responses" this administration wants its muzzle its officials from speaking their minds out never mind if these are officials whose culture requires them to shoot first and question later.
We know the military had been asking the public to spare them from politics but it is behooved, nay mandated for them, to be called upon to speak the truth even if it means displeasing their superiors or the powers that be.
If they can't do it, if this is the case then the lawmakers and right minded legal groups should question this policy before the courts.
(September 29, 2005 issue)
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