WHAT does a military officer get when there are no body counts? Nothing? If by that standard, Col. Jon Aying of the 303rd Infantry Brigade gets nothing.
Under his command, the Philippine Army scored a record of zero violation. Isn’t that commendable?
True, a complaint for human rights violation was filed against a former soldier, said the Commission of Human Rights.
But then, the accused is no longer under the command of the Philippine Army. He is now just plain citizen Juan de la Cruz just like the rest of us.
Then there’s another case. Nagkaisa! said the most recent in the cases of unsolved EJKs was the murder of a labor organizer in Negros Occidental. Rolando Pango, a full time organizer of Partido Manggagawa (PM), was gunned down in Binalbagan town in Negros Occidental on November 29, 2014.
“Prior to his death, Pango was deeply involved in both the agrarian and labor disputes in Hacienda Salud, a 135-hectare sugar plantation in Barangay Rumirang, Isabela leased and managed by Manuel Lamata,” said PM Chair Renato Magtubo.
Pango was instrumental in organizing the plantation workers in Hacienda Salud who in June applied the land under Carper coverage. Salud workers had also filed of a case of illegal dismissal before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) against Lamata for unlawful termination of 41 workers.
There might be state accountability on this case as the three other complaints of human rights violations were leveled against Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, one against the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, from the CHR year-end report.
I had a recent conversation in Manila with Charly Holganza, a retired major general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. A member of the Philippine Military Academy class ‘78, he served with distinction for 38 years in the Philippine Army and has received numerous awards, citations, and medals for his meritorious work.
Charly is credited for forging partnerships with public, private, and international groups to bring about development initiatives and projects in conflict-affected areas of the country. He developed the unit’s capabilities in humanitarian assistance and disaster response with partnerships with the Pacific Command (PaCom), the Marine Forces Pacific (MarForPac) and the Hawaiian National Guards. He helped change the mindset of the unit from being merely infrastructure builders into community developers.
Col. Aying is following his footsteps. However, it is largely civilian institutions who are recognizing his efforts to win the peace. In the internal armed conflict, winning the peace means not body counts of innocent victims but of the rural poor who overcome poverty and degradation.
Jon has initiated the Provincial Peace Integration and Development Unit (Pro-Pidu). One of its tasks was to promote Healing, Reconciliation, Peace and Empowerment Programs. Under the Negros First Development Agenda, it aims to make governance more relevant and responsive by providing people with basic services and sustainable livelihood.
This is in compliance with human rights obligations that the State has to fulfill the economic, social, and cultural rights of the citizenry.
Col. Aying deserves to win the Distinguished Service Star, the third highest AFP award. The medal is awarded for eminently meritorious and valuable service rendered while holding a position of great responsibility. In this case, in implementing Oplan Bayanihan’s four pillars: good governance, delivery of basic services, economic reconstruction and sustainable development, and security sector reforms.
And promotion to one-star general.
(bqsanc@yahoo.com)