PerryScope
By Perry Diaz
Barely three days after delivering his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Beningo “P-Noy” Aquino III appointed retired Lt. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan as the new Director of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor). A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1979, Pangilinan retired last July 25, 2011 when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 56 — the same day P-Noy delivered his SONA. On July 28, Pangilinan took his oath of office before his news boss, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima.
Pangilinan seems like the ideal “poster boy” for P-Noy’s campaign against corruption and fighting “utak wang-wang” (“wang-wang” mentality) — or abuse of power — in the government. Why not? After all, he was a recipient of the Philippine Legion of Honor and holds a masters degree in Strategic Studies at the United States Army War College. His credentials are impressive: he previously led the Counter Intelligence Group of the AFP; and as the first commander of the Task Force Davao, he developed the module for counter-terrorism campaigns in urban areas. He earned his third star when P-Noy appointed him commander of Northern Luzon Command.
Plunder complaint
Pangilinan may have been the best choice for the job except for one major, major issue: there is a pending plunder case against him before the Department of Justice, which must have placed his new boss, De Lima, in a very awkward position of investigating her new subordinate for a plunder complaint.
Some DOJ officials doubt Pangilinan’s ability to institute reforms at BuCor while he is facing a plunder charge. One DOJ official said, “Personally, I think Malacañang should have been more circumspect and discriminating in appointing people to sensitive positions like the BuCor.” But Pangilinan downplayed the plunder case, saying that it was just a “fabrication” of retired AFP Comptroller Lt. Col. George Rabusa, the complainant.
When Rabusa heard about Pangilinan’s appointment and his claim that it was just a “fabrication,” he said: “I know him so well. I know him from head to toe. I’ve been with him since our days in the PMA and when I was a young lieutenant.” He calls Pangilinan a “bad boy.”
In April 2011, Rabusa filed the plunder complaint against 17 generals and senior officers for alleged corrupt activities in the AFP including the misuse and conversion of some P2.3 billion in military funds from 2000 to 2005. Two months later, he added Pangilinan and four others to the plunder complaint. He claimed that Pangilinan was the “bagman” for the late AFP Chief of Staff Arturo Enrile whom he served as executive assistant in 1995. Rabusa claimed that Pangilinan received P88.2 million in the alleged conversion of AFP funds.
But Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda was quick to defend Pangilinan’s appointment. At first he said that Rabusa’s lawyers made a mistake in filing a plunder case against Pangilinan because plunder was not yet a crime when Pangilinan served under Enrile in1995; therefore, Pangilinan did not commit the crime of plunder. But when he was told that plunder was already a crime in 1991, Lacierda said that under the constitution Pangilinan is “presumed innocent until proven guilty.” He said that P-Noy appointed Pangilinan because of his “expertise in counter-intelligence and his ability to reform the system,” which makes one wonder if he was the only person who could do the job? Lacierda, however, conceded that Pangilinan’s appointment could be rescinded if there was evidence against him in the plunder case.
“Midnight” promotion?
A year ago, last July 8, 2010, Pangilinan made the news when P-Noy promoted him as commander of Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom). Since the position requires a three-star general, then-Maj. Gen. Pangilinan would get his third star. Nothing seemed to be wrong with that. However, the problem was that Pangilinan turned 55 on July 25, 2010. Since the mandatory retirement age in the AFP is 56, under the law, an officer – except for one who is promoted to AFP Chief of Staff – with less than a year left in service cannot be promoted.
To go around the law, P-Noy — who signed his promotion in September 2010 — made his appointment retroactive to the day he assumed command of Nolcom. In effect, P-Noy circumvented the one-year ban on promotions in the military by backdating his appointment papers. In a way, it’s a “midnight” promotion that is likened to Gloria circumventing the ban on “midnight” appointments by backdating appointment papers.
Game of the generals
It’s interesting to note that during the 2010 presidential campaign, Aquino met with several generals who reportedly told him that Gloria was not giving up power and was preparing plans for three possible scenarios to stay in power. The generals pledged their loyalty to Aquino and assured him that they would resist any attempt by Gloria to stay in power and would install him president if no winner were proclaimed within a week after the election. Pangilinan was one of these generals.
However, there was no evidence – or signs – of the existence of a military group who would support Arroyo to stay in power, not even then Chief of Staff Delfin Bangit who was a known Arroyo loyalist. But Pangilinan’s group convinced Aquino — and Voltaire Gazmin — that Gloria was dead serious about staying in power.
Aquino loyalist
Gazmin’s relationship with the Aquinos goes back to the presidency of Cory Aquino — P-Noy’s mother — when he commanded her Praetorian Guard, the Presidential Security Group. He gained prominence when he defended Cory’s government from seven coup attempts. He was later promoted to Lieutenant General as commander of the Philippine Army. It was during this time that Pangilinan served under him as intelligence officer and comptroller. Gazmin retired from military service in 2000. When P-Noy ascended to the presidency, he picked Gazmin from retirement to serve as Secretary of National Defense.
Evidently, Pangilinan’s past association with Gazmin and his involvement with a group of generals who supported P-Noy during the 2010 campaign helped him get promoted to Lieutenant General and also secured the BuCor top post after his mandatory retirement age notwithstanding the plunder case against him.
Shadow of doubt
Pangilinan’s appointment cast a shadow of doubt on P-Noy’s integrity when he vowed during his SONA to fight corruption and stop those who abuse power, which he called “utak wang-wang” (“wang-wang” mentality). But how can he convince his “bosses” – the people – that he is serious about stamping out corruption when he just appointed someone charged with plunder? How does he expect his subordinates to walk a straight and narrow path (“matuwid na daan) ” when he appointed his “KKK” cronies (shooting buddies, classmates, and friends) who are more interested in securing their jobs and pursuing their personal interests than to serve the people? How can he govern effectively when his subordinates are divided into the warring “Samar” and “Balay” factions? And how can he institute reforms when he surrounds himself with people who are more committed to keeping the status quo than making change?
He promised change but it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Indeed, it appears that it’s still “wang-wang” politics as usual.
Quo vadis, P-Noy?
P-Noy seems to be aping Barack Hussein Obama in appointing people to key positions in his administration, with questionable credibility and qualifications for the job. It looks like P-Noy is saying, “damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” in simply overlooking the plunder case against Gen. Pangilinan, just like Obama when he ignored all the criticisms of his appointment of tax evader turned Secretary of the Treasury Geithner and the numerous Czars with dubious backgrounds and qualifications he appointed to unnecessary positions and all directly reporting and responsible to him only. We poor American taxpayers are paying for the whopping salaries of all those useless Czars!
BTW, if Pangilinan is such a hot shot, I wonder why he accepted the position of Director of BuCors which any idiot with the right political connection can occupy. A guy with a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies at the very prestigious U.S. Army War College and expertise in counter intelligence running Muntinglupa? Gen Pangilinan must be truly in need of a job—any job to augment his meager military pension. That is if he really did not commit plunder and now lives austerely.
The funny thing about all this is that even that AFP Lt Colonel who is accusing a number of generals, to include Pangilinan, of plunder is himself guilty of plunder, but turned whistle blower and state witness to cover and save his very tarnished ass! If he ever end up in Muntinglupa and Pangilinan is his jailer, that would be the irony of ironies!
Kawawang Pilipinas! Is there really a shortage of qualified men and women who could help P-Noy run that unfortunate country? As a Pinoy I can’t really believe that. Politics as usual, that’s the name of the game and P-Noy is no exception from his predecessors! He is no different from Barack who is brainless and have no balls!
Romy Monteyro
(Sent by email)
Beware the “Ides of March”.
With the clones of Brutus around P-Noy
serving as his advisers, everyday is the “Ides of March”.
P-Noy should pick his most trusted top echelon advisers,
(not based on KKK alone) for intensive training
possibly abroad for security purposes, so they won’t take their jobs for granted.
A sample site for more information. –
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/In_US_Army_what_is_was_G1_G2intell_G3_G4
hanks for sharing Perry,
He does have the proper credentials to have been promoted, as well as appointed by Pnoy.
However Pnoy should have waited until the plunder charge investigation had cleared him of the alleged charges.
It looks likes the alleged accusations might be misconstrued against this good officer and gentleman.
Abest wishes,
Jaime Calero
(Sent by email)
There is no paper trails on those charges, only heresy. When it comes to investigation and no evidences or proofs show up, everything are null and void. Recorded tapes, videos and written stuffs can be presented in court with the witnesses can be a strong evidences.
IF PANGILINAN IS REALLY AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, HE WOULD REFUSE SUCH AN APPT. UNTIL AFTER HIS PLUNDER CASE IS RESOLVED. THE TOP OFFICERS; GENERALS, COLONELS, LT COLONELS, MAJOR,CAPT, LTS BECAME CROOKS BECAUSE THEIR COMMANDER IN-CHIEF IS THE NUMBER ONE CROOK. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT? DUH! MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO, THE MONKEY WILL DO BETTER THAN YOU. NO MORALS, NO INTEGRITY, SELF SERVING, NAKA KA DIRI. THEY ARE WORSE THAN A MAGGOT.
Huh! How much do you know about morality,integrity and service???? Cguro nga you havent even served your own parents well and you say these things. Stupid!
Dear Mr Calero,
I would like to say something about your statement that Pnoy should have waited until the plunder charges have cleared him (or jailed him). We should know by now that the justice system in our country works like an alarm clock running low on batteries – slow or dead stop. What is happening with ALL the investigations of the Senate, ALL the court cases of accused civil servants in ALL the courts of this land? – it moves ever slowly, has come to a halt, or thrown out of court because of “lack” of evidence or the witness ended up in a coffin.
So if Pnoy waits for anything to happen before he appoints Pangilinan, that is not going to pass. The impression given to all of us, his bosses (kuno), is that the plunder case will just disappear like buildings in a misty evening and when the sun shines again, the man is cleansed of all wrong doing. As for that ludicrous and equally ridiculous reason only a Lacierda can cook up that plunder was not yet a crime in our legal system, what about Grand Larceny? Stealing maybe? Can we make burglary stick? How about Robbery as he is an army man and carries a gun? Or how about just plain abuse of power or dereliction of duty?
Would it be in my dreams only if this very well qualified career officer eventually go to Muntinglupa to serve his time while he is the head of that very prestigious institution? What irony that would be.
But this is about as far fetched as my 64 year old derriere looking like sexy J.Lo’s.
Perry,
It’s hopeless! It’s obvious that P-Noy has not really lived up to the Filipino people’ expectations. And, probably, he never will. I was hopeful that something good will come out of him when he was elected president. Now I’m truly disappointed like everyone else. Those politicians are all the same.
My heart bleeds for the poor, God-forsaken country of ours.
Don Azarias
Hi Don,
I’m beginning to think that P-Noy is just a puppet of the military. Just like Gloria he appointed retired generals to plum positions in government. If I remember it correctly, he promised during the campaign that he;s not going to repeat what Gloria did in appointing retired generals. Makes one wonder who are really running the government?
Perry
Has it ever occurred to anybody that because of the pervasive corruption in the military, P-Noy doesn’t have a lot of men to choose from? That perhaps Pangilinan was the least corrupt of all of them? That position has to be filled and P-noy has to choose from a very shallow pool?
Perry,
Another thing: If the military will really be in control of the Philippines from now on, you can just imagine what is going to happen if we are successful in taking ownership of the oil-rich Spratlys (assuming China will forego its claim, which I doubt).
Look at Iraq during Saddam’s regime, Libya under Gadhafi, and the rest of the Arab world, and Nigeria under Obasanjo, Valenzuela under Chavez and Iran under the Shah and, now, under the ayattolahs. Those oil-rich countries have one thing in common: The leaders, the elites and the selected few are the ones benefiting and not country nor the people. Do you still remember how many palaces Saddam had built for himself before he was overthrown? Do you think it will ever happen without the support of the military establishment? Go figure.
“Hirap na hirap na nga ang Pilipinas ninanakawan pa e di lalo na kung may oil.”
Don Azarias
Boy Gee’s first decision as Bureau of Corrections chief was to convince his new boss, DOJ Secty Leila de Lima, to soften her stance on demolishing the “kubols” in Munti. The “kubols” are special housing accommodations for VIP prisoners. Some “kubols” have their own ventilation, entertainment system, and other luxuries. That’s “reform” for you! So much for P-Noy’s war on “utak wang-wang.” It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Perry
perry,
how about the sale of ft bonifacio so that proceeds can modernize the afp?
pls probe and write about this.
To Romy Monteyro; your criticism of Pres. Obama is way out of line. I think you are an ignoramus. Obama is one of the smartest men who ever held that office (editor of Harvard Law Review while a student,etc.). As if that means anything to you! I’m willing to bet he’s got more guts and balls than you do!