|
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Arroyo meets with top generals on corruption
MANILA -- President Arroyo has ordered top Army officials to stick to their jobs despite a military corruption crackdown, officials said Friday.
Arroyo met with several Army generals and colonels late Thursday to discuss with them the probe on graft cases involving former chief finance officer Major General Carlos Garcia.
Garcia is under house arrest while under investigation for allegedly amassing millions of dollars in assets on a monthly salary of about 600 US dollars.
Eight bank accounts holding nearly a million dollars under his name and those of members of his family have been frozen by the courts and military prosecutors said he could face court martial.
Military sources said Arroyo invited around 40 Army battalion and brigade commanders based on the main island of Luzon for tasks followed by dinner at Malacaņang presidential palace after learning they were in Manila for a two-day seminar in Fort Bonifactio.
Later joining them was incoming Armed Forces chief Efren Abu, who arrived a few minutes after the dinner meeting started.
Radio reports said the soldiers started arriving in Malacaņang at 6:30 p.m. Friday on board buses with red plates and were escorted by Armed Forces and Presidential Security Group (PSG) vehicles.
Arroyo, the commander-in-chief, advised the generals and the colonels at the meeting "to concentrate on their jobs and assured that reforms would be instituted," said a military official who attended the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Arroyo survived a military rebellion last year that was led by junior officers who accused some of their superiors of corruption.
By launching the inquiry against Garcia, the President's aides said Arroyo was addressing some of the root causes of the July 2003 mutiny.
The two-hour dinner had nothing to do with the reported destabilization plots nor was it a loyalty check, explained Arroyo spokesman Ignacio Bunye.
During the dialogue, Arroyo asked the mid-level officers about "the morale of the troops in view of the Garcia brouhaha," the military source told reporters.
According to Bunye, the field commanders "pledged to fight all attempts to divide the armed forces or to undermine the chain of command by any quarters disloyal to democracy."
There was nothing unusual at all about this meeting, said Bunye, adding that Arroyo has made it her habit to regularly meet with members of the military whenever she has time.
Military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Daniel Lucero said the military leaders had learned "that there are negative sentiments from our soldiers as a result of this controversy" surrounding Garcia.
"Some of them are interpreting this as a military bashing and some would go as far as looking at this as an insult or ridicule which they believe is undermining the dignity of every member of the armed forces," Lucero added.
He said military commanders have ordered their troops "to remain focused, to remain firm and keep their eyes on the mandate which is to protect the people and the state."
On Garcia's court martial, Bunye said Malacaņang anticipates a speedy trial as everything is already in place.
"All eyes are on how the military will continue to redeem itself as it cleanses its ranks. The military and civil justice systems are teaming up to consolidate the evidence and tighten the strategy of prosecution. No stone will be left unturned in this effort and justice will prevail," he added.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales said the Commission on Audit (COA) should start investigating its own regional auditors and military auditors who may have had a hand in alleged corruption in the Armed Forces.
"If you ask me, I don't believe that anomalies can be committed without the COA being part of it. Because the COA inspects when there is a project. For example, you cannot turn over the project without the approval of the COA, it's the COA that supervises whether the program of work is correct, whether the materials are there, you do not leave that just to the engineers by themselves," Gonzales said.
He added that Congress should end its investigations once it has gathered enough data and establish the type of legislation that it needs to help strengthen the Armed Forces, particularly in the aspect pertaining to its funds, and clear the participation of the COA, including its supervision, over the bidding processes. (JMR/AFP)
(October 23, 2004 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
