Obituaries

By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
13 February 2011

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The entire archipelagic Philippines is grieving for the death of Angelo Reyes. Surely, not everybody knows that apart from Reyes’, two more lives were lost: Messrs. Truth and Justice’.

Mr. Reyes, who had served the military for more than four decades, shoot himself in front of his mother’s grave while his son and an aide were watching him from the distance. He was accused of plunder.

Mr. Truth, who had served not just the country but the entire humanity as well, was shot during the same day and time while Mr. Reyes was suffering from temporary incongruence between truth and lies. Mr. Truth died sans the opportunity to articulate and be heard.

Mr. Justice, who had served the country with all his noble intentions, was gunned down during the same day and time while Mr. Reyes was having a hard time integrating right and wrong, moral and immoral. Mr. Justice vanished sans the opportunity to enjoy freedom from all sort of deprivation.

The country is mourning for the loss of a statesman whose integrity was heightened when, as AFP Chief of Staff of President Estrada, has worked towards the vision of a post-EDSA modern Armed Forces that is “fully mission-effective, progressively-efficient, technology-driven, versatile, responsive to change and composed of soldiers who are visible role models to the Filipino People.” During moment of mourning, people would be able to realize whether or not Mr. Reyes has accomplished his mission via the genuine employment of his AFP ideals, whether or not about receipt of sendoff money in millions of pesos from the Filipino community.

The country is mourning for the loss of a statesman who has played an instrumental role in leading the entire Armed Forces in a collective effort to side with the Filipino People’s call for a genuine reform in society and governance through the second EDSA that led to a peaceful transition of national leadership, a transition that was dreamed to usher new hope for truth, honor and decency in public service. During this moment of mourning, EDSA would have re-defined itself had it known that the quest for new hope for truth, honor and decency would yield a tragic casualty.

The country is grieving for the loss of another statesman, Mr. Truth, whom most of us deny his existence. Mr. Truth is what Mr. George Rabusa proclaimed when he alleged that multi-million pesos were pocketed by Reyes; that he himself personally handed the check. He is the same Mr. Truth that Heidi Mendoza purported and corroborated in the same house of the nobles that was hearing the case of their cohorts. He was the same Mr. Truth that would have been revealed by Reyes himself that was thwarted by mental dysfunction. He was the same Mr. Truth that would have been revealed by Reyes aborted by moderated greed in the guise of the former chief executive and their cohorts. Reyes could have been Mr. Truth had he not terminated his cause, revelation, or life.

The country is grieving for the loss of another statesman, Mr. Justice, whom most Filipinos ignore his existence. Mr. Justice is what George Rabusa revealed that the UN Mission Funds were used for personal advantage. He is the same Mr. Justice that Heidi Mendoza examined using applicable standards. He was the same Mr. Justice that the entire Filipino people wanted and still wants to gain after all these executive, legislative, judicial, and much more, military graft and corruption hum-drums.

The country is mourning for the loss of a statesman, who being the 27th Chief of Staff of the AFP, was believed to have imbibed a culture of excellence in his department and transformed it into a unit responsive to the challenges of rapidly changing security establishment amidst the rising trend in global terrorism and was instrumental in crafting the National Internal Security Plan which is now being implemented by the government in addressing the root causes of insurgency through poverty alleviation, delivery of basic services and empowerment of the local government.

With due respect to his grave, I believe the entire Filipino human race would opine the same: he failed in creating a culture of excellence in his department; he failed to transform the armed forces into an establishment truly responsive to the challenges of the changing times. He was transformed by the system plaguing the AFP; he was changed, if he was completely different at all before elevated to the high post, by the peculiar and self-serving demonic system.

Apparently, he failed; otherwise, this staple would not be served today in our tables.

These condolences are meant to the bereaved families of Messrs. Reyes, Truth and Justice. But more than this, all these obituaries should be dedicated to the families of EDSA Spirit whom these troubled statesmen in the likes of Reyes, Garcia, Arroyo and their cohorts betrayed.