AFP CHIEF ADMITS CORRUPTION IN MILITARY

Manila, August 1, 2003 By Ann Corvera (STAR) Armed Forces chief Gen. Narciso Abaya has admitted that corruption thrives in the military, from the top of the hierarchy to the company commanders in the field.

However, Abaya, in an interview on the ANC cable television program "On Line" Wednesday night, did not elaborate on the forms of corruption in the Armed Forces.

"This graft and corruption is not only at the highest levels (of the military)," he said. "I admit there is graft and corruption at all levels even down to the company commander level."

Abaya denied that the Armed Forces high command is turning a blind eye on the irregularities, saying "necessary action" has been taken to "eliminate" graft and corruption in the military.

He said instituting reforms in the military must be done "within the framework and system of the law" and not by removing outright allegedly "shady" officials.

"It’s easy for one to come up with a masteral thesis and prescribe solutions under the guise of academic freedom. But it’s different when you do it within the framework and system of the law," he said.

"Definitely, that is a very serious charge. Each of these generals are also entitled to due process," Abaya added.

Navy LtSGr. Antonio Trillanes IV, a leader of last Sunday’s mutiny of junior military officers, wrote a master’s thesis on corruption in the Navy at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

Abaya rejected a New York Times report that the Philippine military is "considered one of the most corrupt in the (Asia-Pacific) region."

The report came out days after mutinous troops took over the posh Oakwood Premiere Ayala Center apartment building and the Glorietta mall in Makati’s central business district.

"(The) weekend revolt highlighted the difficulties the United States faces in trying to help the Philippine military," read the report.

Abaya also denounced an editorial on Wednesday in the Asahi Shimbun that the Armed Forces "cannot be seen as a legitimate organization" if the financial aid given by the US to the Philippines to fight terrorism is being "skimmed by the country’s top brass" for personal gain.

"This guy does not know what he’s talking about simply because the aid that we are getting does not come in greenbacks," he said.

"(It comes in the form of) equipment, night-vision goggles, firearms and training like the one we are conducting now in Zamboanga City and the training we will undergo in the United States.

"There’s no way that any official of the AFP can skim (the military aid that the US has granted the Philippines)," Abaya said.

Among the grievances of junior military officers who launched Sunday’s short-lived mutiny were corruption in the government and its support to terrorism, mismanaging soldiers’ pension funds, low hazard pay, inadequate housing and micromanagement of the Armed Forces.

The mutineers had also demanded the resignation of Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, military intelligence chief Brig. Gen. Victor Corpus and Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane.

So far, only Corpus has resigned, but President Arroyo did not allow him to retire from the military.

Reyes and Ebdane have both refused to resign.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), waging a rebellion in Mindanao for the past 25 years, earlier admitted to having bought weapons from the military, confirming the allegations of mutinous junior officers.

However, the MILF did not implicate any military official in their purchase of firearms and ammunition, saying it was likely that only individual soldiers were selling the arms and ammunition.

The US earmarked last March a total of $30 million in military aid for the Philippines to help the Arroyo administration fight terrorism.

In 2001, US military aid to the Philippines totaled $20.1 million.