 |
 |
| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Military Secrets By Antonio C. Abaya Written Jan, 11, 2005 For the Manila Standard, January, 13 issue The following are excerpts from a story that appeared in the December 06, 2004 issue of the investigative newsmagazine Newsbreak. I have kept it in the Inbox of my computer since I first received it on December 10 from [email protected]. But the complete original can be accessed in the archives of Newsbreak on www.inq7.net. The story, introduced by Newsbreak publisher/editor-in-chief Marites Danguilen Vitug, was written by managing editor Glenda M. Gloria, with reports from Gemma Bagayaua, Miriam Grace A. Go, Raphael Martin and Gemma Nemenzo and Noli Cabantug in California. The excerpts: �Two houses in upscale Orange County of California, bought in cash and through loans for almost US$700,000. Various landholdings in the picturesque province of Bukidnon. A swanky condominium unit worth at least P22 million in Fort Bonifacio, Metro Manila. �The registered owners of these properties are former military comptroller (J6) Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot, who retired only last August, his wife Erlinda Yambao Ligot, and their children. None of these properties, all purchased when Ligot was still in active service, was declared in the general�s statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN). �Documents as well as sources interviewed by NEWSBREAK show that Erlinda Y. Ligot, a long-time housewife who turned businesswoman last year, owns the following residences here and in the US: �7102 Stanton Ave., Buena Park, California. Date of purchase: 2002. Price: $183,868. Mode of payment: Cash. �1240 S. Cabernet Circle, Anaheim, California. Date of purchase: Dec. 23, 2003. Price: $504,000. Mode of payment: cash and loan. �Unit 19-A, Lawton Tower, Essensa East Forbes Condominium, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. First payment of property tax: January 2004. Estimated price: Between P22M and P26M. Mode of payment: Unknown. �On the other hand, Jacinto C. Ligot appears on record as the owner of a resthouse, a poultry house, and other structures related to poultry that sit on an eight-hectare lot in Barangay Imbayao, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, according to tax declarations obtained from the city assessor�s office��. �From June 1996 to October 1999, Ligot served as commander of the Army�s 403rd Infantry Brigade based in Malaybalay. Before this, Ligot served for a year as comptroller of the Army (April 1995 to May 1996). From November 1999 to March 2001, he became chief comptroller of the entire Armed Forces (J6)�� �NEWSBREAK has learned that Ligot is one of the 10 active and retired military officers that the Ombudsman is investigating as an offshoot of the (Maj. Gen. Carlos F.) Garcia case. Two other officers being probed, Lt. Col. George A,. Rabusa and Air Force Lt. Col. Antonio Ramon �Sonny� A. Limhad, worked under him at J6. Ligot hired Rabusa as his budget officer at J6 in November 1999. �Illegal Wealth? It is hard to imagine how these properties could have been acquired through legitimate means. The Ligots have no other sources of big income; the general�s last monthly income in the military was a little less than P35,000. �Asked to explain, Mrs. Ligot said in a phone interview that she was able to raise money in the past and that she bought the US properties supposedly without her husband�s knowledge, with friends whom she refused to name. �On the Essensa property, she said it really belongs to her brother, Gerry Yambao, except that he has yet to pay her back. Gerry Yambao didn�t want his name in the property records because he is going through divorce proceedings with his wife, Mrs. Ligot explained.� (Curiously, this was similar to the explanation given several years ago by Jose Miguel and Gloria Arroyo on why a San Francisco property registered in their name really belonged to his brother, Jose Ignacio, of later Jose Pidal fame. ACA) �In October, after the Garcia expose, a NEWSBREAK reader based in southern California alerted us that Mrs. Ligot had just been to Los Angeles to �clean dirty money.� A check with Immigration showed that Mrs. Ligot indeed left for LA on October 11 via Philippine Airlines flight PR 102�� �Mrs. Ligot travels often to California with her favorite traveling and ballroom dancing companion, Mrs. Teresita P. Reyes, wife of (Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo) Reyes. This year alone, Mrs. Ligot was there four times: February, April, July and October; Mrs. Reyes was there, too, in February (same flight as Mrs. Ligot�s) and in July. In June last year, they traveled to LA together. �Bragging about Essensa. Mrs. Ligot�s lavish lifestyle has been the buzz in the military for quite sometime now. The Ligot children would tell friends, who happen to be children of military officers as well, about their posh 19th-floor Essensa unit at the Fort. The first tax payment made by the Ligots on this property was in January 2004, which indicates that they could have bought it last year��.� End of excerpts from NEWSBREAK. The NEWSBREAK editors and writers are to be congratulated for the quality of their investigative journalism. But for some inexplicable reason, the rest of Philippine media did not pick it up, and so Gen. Ligot did not gain the same notoriety that Gen. Garcia did, was not haled to Congressional hearings as Garcia was, and the size and number of his bank accounts were not detailed in the broadsheets as Garcia�s were. And as far as I know, Gen. Ligot�s unexplained wealth has not drawn any comment from President Arroyo or Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz or any of the former AFP chiefs-of-staff during whose watch Ligot was AFP comptroller and acquired his millions. Ligot is not even under house arrest. The present AFP COS, Lt. Gen. Efren Abu, has abolished the position, but that is clearly not enough since someone would still have to perform the functions of that office and, with it, enjoy the privileges that Ligot and Garcia clearly abused. As in the Garcia case, Ligot�s suggests that other, even higher ranking officers and officials benefited from his, shall we say, entrepreneurial skills. But whether those linkages will ever be established and exposed, and the culprits thrown in jail with the principals accused, remains to be seen. Right now, it does seem remote that a thorough house-cleaning of the military establishment will ever happen, even with the apparently earnest intentions of Gen. Abu. Only the Commander-in-Chief can make it happen, but President Arroyo needs the help of the generals, corrupt or otherwise, to stay in power as her personal popularity plunges to record lows. The Garcia and Ligot cases have vindicated the charge of the Oakwood mutineers (and their spiritual godfather, Gringo Honasan) that the AFP high command was riddled with corruption. However, their idealism was soiled when they entered into a tactical alliance with the disgraced Joseph Estrada (apparently, for his money) whom, they later admitted, they were going to restore to the presidency, but for only three days � enough time for Erap to legally clear himself of the plunder charge � after which their junta would take over. If another group of idealistic young officers, without any connection to any trapo, and with a charge sheet against the Garcias and the Ligots of the high command, were to stage another military mutiny in the near future, chances are good that a substantial segment of the middle class will support them, as they did in 1986. ***** Reactions to [email protected] or fax 824-7642. Other articles in www.tapatt.org OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Military Secrets� Mr Abaya, Thank you for your straight forward professional approach to journalism. Never before have I had the opportunity to enjoy reading the truth about those corrupt officials in the Philippines. I pray you will be able to continue this expos�. Perhaps you and other journalists such as you will be able open the eyes and awaken those masses who are being plundered by these self appointed oligarchs. Thank you again for the reading pleasure. Dale Hallcom, [email protected] Encino, California, January 14, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Your last 2 paragraphs remind me of my article which was printed in PDI last year. Please see below. At the rate fresh initiatives of �destabilization� efforts are mounting, and with NO civil society and middle forces as her allies, PGMA has nobody to run to and hide from but the military. Thanks. Rgds, Jerome Escobedo, [email protected] January 14, 2005 �MAGDALO� VINDICATED, BUT.. The recent investigations into alleged corruption in the AFP has brought back memories of the Oakwood mutiny led by the �Magdalo� soldiers. This is the main subject of their complaint, which had prompted them to stage the short-lived armed actions. However, the timing and manner in execution did not elicit positive support. There were too many distractions and vested interests behind their action, which makes their cause and objective impure. Politics and the perceived support by opposition group as benefactor had caused the unsavory flavor that is supposed to be unadulterated. If you look at their litany of complaints, it is equally startling to the AFP as institution and its leaders as the recent revelations triggered by Maj Gen Garcia�s unexplained wealth cases. What differences are there in their expose� than it is today as far as magnitude and culpability of involved officers in the alleged corruption in AFP? The bombshell that they had dropped before could have been as effective and damaging as it would be today. The difference lies in the perceived intent and purity of action. Media is still considered as the strong catalyst to hasten the act of bringing anomalies in the open. Had they channel their information and revelation to the proper and effective forum- the media- the public could have edified them as modern �heroes� of change, provided, the act is voluntary and sincere. They could have been enshrined as true revolutionaries, adulated by other young officers and ordinary combat soldiers and revered by their superiors instead of languishing psychologically and wallowing in their grave mistake. This should be a lesson to all patriotic Filipinos out there who have the courage for reforms and change for a better Philippines. Jerome L. Escobedo Cebu City wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Isn't there a group of idealistic majors and captains, without any connection to any trapo, who can stage a military takeover? Can somebody make this suggestion to them if such a group can be organized? There definitely is going to be a strong support for that from the middle class. I, for one, am really waiting for that. that seems to be the only option available to us. The administration and the opposition as well as the system itself, nor the proposed parliamentary, will not reverse our direction. On the matter of the tsunami vis-a-vis God, the reason is very simple. since time immemorial, catholics, muslims, and all other religions thru their priests, cardinals, imams,born agains, and what have yous, have been creating a persona of, and putting words into the mouth of God. this, of course, to have power over men. so God sends a tsunami our way , something that the priests could not explain. this to tell the priests not to use God for their follies and to tell the rest of us not to blindly believe the priests. Thanks for keeping me in the mailing list for your articles. I sure appreciate the articles and always share them with friends. Epi Espaldon, [email protected] Ayala Alabang, January 14, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww That's why the AFP is useless as I have said time and again. Hire a mercenary army that can fired at the end of the day. Ross Tipon,. [email protected] Baguio City, January 14, 2005 MY REPLY. Easier said than done. How do you square that with the Constitution and other, existing laws? wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya : I thought you might be interested to read my cover note to a member of our ex-PAL sub-loop, when I forwarded to him your posting of your article. Respectfully, Antonio B. Elica�o, [email protected] January 14, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jess : I have lifted the penultimate paragraph of my last email rejoinder to ur reply etc. etc., and am pasting this hereunder : Without that, I think that we are beginning to witness a transition - the winds of revolt are beginning to build up from isolated whispers to more audible rumbles. I have taken the liberty to place in bold fonts the last paragraph of Mr. Abaya's article. In case u are not aware, Tony Abaya was a classmate of Ben Belen in Ateneo and is one of the more sober (no histrionics), honest (no "envelopemental journalism" for him, no taint of the more common "extortionist practice" - 'cough up or else, an expose follows, whether true or not') and therefore a rare respected one among local print columnists and their kin in the TV medium. Ipsa loquitur. Tony wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony---Thanks for your article on the shameless LIGOTS. I can understand the agony of any reader who will read your piece. And your analysis that GMA is sort of held hostage by the military, her ratings being at their lowest ever are so true. What makes it disgusting is the fact that despair is so evident in the eyes of the many that manage to survive from what they can salvage from the garbage cans amidst the squalor and filth around them. You�re telling us that GMA can�t do anything about the Ligots because she is held hostage somehow. BUT AREN�T WE ALL? And, by the way, Gen. Garcia up to now has no plunder case as yet filed against him. He�s got several counts of perjury but no plunder case as yet. Talk about being held hostage�my foot! We, the people are all being held hostage amidst a kind of corruption that grips us into submission unless �( I can�t complete the sentence because I really don�t know how to). Best regards, Josie Lichauco, [email protected] January 15, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I most cordially thank you for taking time to send to a sampling of the mud that currently besmirches our Armed Forces and Phil society and government as a whole. I didn't even care to peruse the nasty details of your mail. It did send a very strong message: Our country is right now ripe for a bloody revolution to set things right and purify our nation in order for us idealistic patriots to advance to greater heights. Here in Mindanao, common masses are slowly organizing to revive Bonifacio's Katipunan which will serve as our people's anchor and hope in these trying times when our very leaders are the ones leading our country to destruction.. We await for your response... Alex Argote, [email protected] January 14, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Thanks for furnishing me with copies of your articles. They really sizzle. And I must admit that it is seldom that I am able to buy newspapers these days. Ang hirap kasi ng pera, and there are so many priorities that line up. Here's a copy of an article that I wrote. This was very hurriedly written since there's just too many things to do. I hope it gets published. Best regards, Manny Buenaventura, [email protected] January 16, 2005 Government, the Country's Biggest Crime Syndicate In Get Real with Ces Drilon, it was mentioned that in the recently concluded Forum for Filipinos Future (hope I got that right) sponsored by ABS-CBN, the participants, made up mostly of the most outstanding personalities in the various fields of business, education, media, social work, etc., were generally pessimistic about the Filipinos' future. They said that corruption has already reached as high as 60 to 70%. However, they said that we must look at the brighter side. They even boldly proclaimed that we can still go on without relying too much on the government. But the question is how much can the citizenry achieve if government is an obstacle to its efforts to improve our situation? And why should we, in the first place, even tolerate the fact that our government officials are robbing us of our money, and denying us the services and the rights that we are entitled to? How can we even expect foreign investors to bring their precious dollars and provide jobs to the tens of millions of unemployed and underemployed? The root of all the Philippines' numerous problems is the greed and corruption of the government officials. And the government has become the biggest crime syndicate in our country. Their biggest conspirators are some ignoble and ultra-greedy businessmen. They are able to perpetuate their oppression of the people mainly through their monopolistic control of the Justice system. We have never been a true democracy, no matter how much we try to believe otherwise. The basic tenet of democracy is that the power emanates from the people. When have the citizenry possessed that power? Even during election time, the exercise of power is thwarted through the powerful candidates' arsenal of manipulations. The only time that this power was ever exercised in its real form was during EDSA 1 and 2. What a crude way to exercise our democratic power. All the time, the people are helpless even if corruption is staring them right in the face, with government officials shamelessly displaying their SUVs and mansions, while countless Pinoys have nothing to eat. It's time that we stop all these, before the people take the law into their hands. The best starting point is to break the monopolistic hold that big business and the government have over the Justice system. Let's copy the example of our favorite "system provider": the United States. The U.S. and most of the mature and effective democracies in the world, have long ago proven that the jury system is superior. By sheer logic alone, it will be harder to bribe 23 reputable jurors than 1 judge and 1 prosecutor, both of whom have generally lousy reputations, have long ago shown their biases and moral incompetence, and who are beholden to government for their appointments and promotions. It is so true that there is nothing wrong with the Filipino. In fact the Filipinos shine, excel and outdo other nationalities in foreign lands. So if the ordinary American citizens have been able to keep and safeguard their democracy through the jury system, there is no reason to doubt that we can also do it. Besides, we have known for the longest time that our justice System stinks. So it's long overdue that we try the jury system which has long been proven to be extremely effective. Let us reclaim our rights that have long been stolen from us by government and corrupt big businessmen. Emmanuel Save wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww |
| Hi, Tony Not only is GMA trying to sweep these scandals under the rug, but she has been appointing retired military and police officials in the Cabinet and in the bureaucracy like crazy. Not even during Marcos's time has there been as many as 5 retired military in the Cabinet. The BCDA and SBMA are now full of former military officers. It doesn't help GMA's image that she appoints these military officers when their cohorts have not yet been cleared of corruption. My friend Romy Bernardo may be right: "a perfect storm" may be brewing and GMA is doing her part to bring it about. Regards, Toti Chikiamco, [email protected] January 17, 2005 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |