MANILA,
FEBRUARY 11, 2011 (STAR)
By Reinir Padua [Photo shows former defense secretary Angelo Reyes' widow
Teresita being consoled by a relative at the wake at the Arlington Ascension
Chapel in Quezon City yesterday. JONJON VICENCIO]
The sons of the late former Armed Forces chief Angelo Reyes hit back at his
critics yesterday, calling them "ignorant and envious" and with "nothing better
to do than to cowardly criticize him."
They voiced their sentiments in a statement read yesterday outside the
Arlington Ascension Chapels on Araneta Avenue where the wake for Reyes was being
held. Reyes shot himself Tuesday before his parents' graves at the Loyola
Memorial Park in Marikina.
"To us, his children, he is and will forever be, our idol – and no amount of
ridiculous rumors, intrigues and accusations from the ignorant, the envious, and
those who have nothing better to do than to cowardly criticize him, will ever
change that," Reyes' sons Bogie, Jett, Marc, Carlo and Judd said in their
statement titled "Angie: the real thing."
They said the "real Angie" demanded the best from his subordinates but "found
contentment in eating corned beef, monggo and sardines."
"He is the nemesis of kidnappers, drug dealers, smugglers and terrorists but
is helpless as his granddaughter puts lipstick on him," they wrote.
They said that although he was an alumnus of Harvard University, he could
"easily mingle with the lowest ranking soldier, policeman or even a barangay
tanod."
Although tagged as "conqueror of Camp Abubakr," Reyes – according to his sons
– never hesitated to kiss them or their mother in public.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo showed up at Reyes'
wake and expressed shock at his sudden death.
"I knew him to be strong willed," he said.
Also at Reyes' wake yesterday was former prime minister Cesar Virata. "I
could see his potential that's why I created an office which he headed," Virata
said, referring to the Management Information Office. He said the office
gathered information useful to development efforts in the provinces.
Saving the AFP
A former Reyes aide, Lt. Col. Edgardo de Leon, said his former boss' decision
to take his own life was his way of saving the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) as an institution.
"Sir Angie had always been for the preservation of the institution," De Leon
said.
De Leon said Reyes had told him that "personal vengeance" was the real
motivation behind the Senate investigation.
"According to him (last week), the current congressional probes, which he
believed were meant as a personal vengeance for his EDSA 2 action, have affected
the institution. The trial by publicity at the Senate may have drawn a wedge
between the officers and rank and file leading to leadership breakdown in the
AFP," said De Leon, now assigned in Mindanao.
"Once, he insinuated that he would even offer his life to save the
institution. I never thought that he was that serious," De Leon said.
"I believe it pained him most to be accused of using the money that were
intended as salary of soldiers, which he never did. On the contrary, he was
known in the Army and the AFP as very generous to soldiers, looking after their
welfare regardless of rank, regardless of whether you're a PMAer or not," he
added.
Sen. Gregorio Honasan, himself a former soldier, said the corruption issue
must have been too much for Reyes to bear, considering his sterling record in
the military.
"I was not the only one who saw it. He was emotional about his reputation
being prematurely smeared, and his family being dragged into this," he said. "My
own sense of this is that he reached his threshold when the issue was too close
to home."
Former President Fidel Ramos also said Reyes took his own life in the belief
that it could save the institution that he loved so much.
"He, in fact, tried to save the Armed Forces of the Philippines," Ramos said,
referring to Reyes' suicide.
"This is what we call our caring, our sharing and our daring for others," the
former president said.
Ramos said Filipinos must "remember the contribution" of Reyes to the EDSA 2
people power revolt despite the allegation of corruption against him.
The defection of Reyes, then AFP chief of staff, to EDSA 2 forces spelled
doom for then President Joseph Estrada.
Ramos said stamping out corruption in the military and the police should be a
concerted effort.
"It will take more than the Senate and the House (of Representatives) to
solve that problem. It must come from every soldier and policeman with
determined effort and leadership, from no less than the president as the
commander-in-chief," Ramos said.
Former Interior secretary Rafael Alunan also said Reyes' suicide was aimed at
"protecting the interest of others."
"Civility has to return to the way we conduct things," Alunan said, referring
to congressional inquiries.
Not a cowardly act
To his mistahs in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Reyes' taking his
own life was not a cowardly act but a show of courage to preserve his pride and
dignity.
"There are some of us who believe that pride and dignity are more valuable
than life itself. Angie is one of those who believed in this," retired Navy
commodore Jose Abudelo told The STAR during the wake for the former AFP chief.
"That's why he had the guts to take away his life. I think that's not
weakness on his part. It's his special strength," he added. Abudelo and Reyes
belonged to PMA Class 1966.
Retired Army colonel Manuel Espejo, class president, said it was painful that
another PMA cadet – Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV – was among those who
"embarrassed" Reyes at the Senate investigation.
Espejo and Abudelo said the Senate and the House should have been more civil
in conducting their inquiries.
"Every time a classmate dies, a part of us goes with him. Everytime a
classmate is insulted, we feel the same way," Abudelo said.
"Even prisoners of war are treated humanely," Abudelo added.
"His (Reyes') death is an eye opener for the Senate and the House to be more
dignified in dealing with guests (at their inquiries)," Espejo said.
Espejo recalled he had asked the former defense secretary and military chief
if he needed any help from his mistahs after his Senate appearance. But Reyes'
response was "Kaya ko 'to (I can take it)."
Espejo said they believed Reyes was innocent of the accusations against him.
"The academy has not taught us what they are charging some of our graduates,"
Espejo said.
"They (Reyes' accusers) should have filed a case against him before the
Sandiganbayan if there was (any evidence)," he said.
He said Reyes must have really felt despondent that he did not show up for
his regular Sunday morning walk with his mistahs at The Fort in Taguig.
"He wasn't there even if three days ago he told us he would come," Espejo
said.
Espejo recalled that he phoned Reyes to ask him and the latter just told him
he had to attend to something.
Catholic burial
Canon Law expert retired archbishop Oscar Cruz said Reyes is still entitled
to Catholic burial even if he was a suicide.
He said the Vatican issued decades ago a "pastoral norm" that allowed
suicides to receive the last rites from the Church.
Reyes will buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, according to family
spokesperson Patricia Daza. The date of burial will be announced later.
"There was a time and it was a long time ago that the Church would not bless
the cadaver of anybody who committed suicide, would not allow entrance to the
Church and not have a Mass celebrated for him. The Church held on to that
observance for decades, but in the past two or three decades the Church came to
know and came to be convinced of the findings of updated psychology and
psychiatry that those who commit suicide cannot be themselves, meaning that
their committing suicide was no longer a free option or a deliberate act," Cruz
said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Escudero said there was no basis to drag the PMA into
the corruption scandal, much less call for its abolition.
"That there are a few rotten eggs is no reason to abolish the institution
that produced them. No institution is perfect. Otherwise, the same argument can
be raised against other educational institutions that produced some bad eggs,"
Escudero said.
Former president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for her part,
denied she called Reyes on his mobile phone shortly before his death as claimed
by former Navy commodore Rex Robles.
"That's not true. I can confidently state that Dr. Arroyo did not speak with
secretary Angelo Reyes the day before he died," Arroyo spokesperson Elena
Bautista-Horn told The STAR.
She appealed to Mrs. Arroyo's detractors not to "create scenarios" out of
Reyes' death.
"Let's leave his family alone. This is a very difficult time for them,"
Bautista-Horn said. With Jaime Laude, Evelyn Macairan
Bishops say Reyes may be provided with Catholic burial
February 10, 2011, 4:01am
MANILA, Philippines (PNA) -- Catholic prelates on Wednesday said former
Secretary Angelo Reyes, who committed suicide in front of his mother's grave,
may be provided with a Catholic burial.
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Cannon
chairman and Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Medroso said the Catholic Church
presumes that a person who committed suicide is not his true self.
Antipolo Auxiliary Bishop Francisco De Leon shares the same view, and said
that while the Catholic teachings consider suicide as mortal sin, there are
circumstances that persons who commit it are not in good mental state.
"Well, sa Church teaching, yung suicide ay talagang kasalanan pero dahil sa
development doon sa mental health, ngayon ay sinasabi ng Simbahan na mayroong
mga situations na ang tao ay hindi malaya sa pagpili ng kamatayan," he said.
Reyes, 66, died of gunshot wound to the chest early morning Tuesday at the
Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City.
He was being accused of receiving pay-offs during his term as Armed Forces
chief of staff
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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