There’s no way that Gloria Arroyo would allow military officials involved in the rigging of the 2004 elections to be punished as being demanded by reform-minded members of the military to address the restiveness in the armed forces.
To do so would mean the end of her illegitimate presidency.
The usually unflappable Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz was piqued last week when reporters insisted on the release of the Mayuga report which was supposed to have been released last December.
Navy Flag- Officer-in Command Mateo Mayuga was belatedly tasked last year, when he was still the AFP Inspector General, to conduct an investigation on the alleged involvement of military officers in the rigging of election results exposed in the “Hello Garci” tapes.
Among those mentioned in the infamous tape, where Arroyo was heard discussing post-election activities with Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, were now Army Chief Hermogenes Esperon; Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon, then commanding general of the First Infantry Division and head of Task Force Sulu; Lt. Gen. (ret.) Roy Kyamco, then Southern Command Chief; Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani, then the Marine commander in charge of Lanao provinces; Col. Aminkadra Salahuddin Undug, then the commanding officer of the Intelligence Service (MIG9) based in Zamboanga.
Also mentioned by Garcillano for their valuable assistance were then PNP chief Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. and Gen. Arturo Lomibao, then the chief of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
In the eight months that have passed since the Hello Garci tapes were made public, the military and police officers who were mentioned to have been helpful with Garcillano’s operations have been promoted. Esperon is now army chief and is seen as the next AFP chief of staff. Habacon is now Southern Command chief. Ebdane is now public works secretary. Lomibao is now PNP chief.
These people are the remaining elements propping up Arroyo’s shaky presidency.
Gudani, who, Garcillano complained, gave him a problem in carrying out his assigned task for Arroyo, has been subjected to court martial together with Col. Alexander Balutan when they responded to the summons of the Senate investigating the Hello Garci tapes.
Since the government refuses to make public the results of the Mayuga investigation, speculations abound. There could only be two possibilities on the contents of the Mayuga report. One, he did an honest-to-goodness investigation and came up with an explosive report. Or it’s a whitewash.
I’d be happy to be proven wrong but I think it’s a whitewash. There’s no way that Mayuga would come out with a report that would expose Arroyo’s cheating and still be promoted.
Another clue that it’s a whitewash is Mayuga’s designation of Brig. Gen. Nelson Allaga as Marine commandant replacing Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, who was implicated in last Feb. 24’s alleged aborted coup.
Although Allaga’s name was not mentioned in the Hello Garci tapes, the rebel group YOUng and former PNP Chief Ramon Montaño, identified him as one of those whom Habacon enlisted to make Arroyo win even if FPJ won in Sulu.
Malacañang’s propaganda machine said Arroyo is reaching out to disgruntled soldiers. There’s no way that she can address the root of the military’s restiveness.
Col. Archie Segumalian’s outburst at the height of the Feb. 26 standoff at Fort Bonifacio was a plaintive plea that they be allowed to hold on to their dignity as military officers: “Gusto lang naming malinis na eleksyon (The only thing we want is a clean election).”
And that would make necessary removing her – the top cheat herself.
Standing At Attention, I salute Gudani and
Balutan, SIRRRRRR.
Standing at parade rest, I like to cry for
for Mayuga, sirrrr.
Mayuga was in a barrel with water, almost
boiling, he did not know the language
of the cannibals, but had been with
them a great part of his life. Nobody
asked him to save himself, but he knew
the body language and he saved himself.
He did right, the plumes and feathers
he now wears, shows he is a leader,
of the cannibals.
Judas of Jesus was no Mayuga. analogy
or metaphor is oxymoron. Neither here
nor there that’s all. Yes nothing more
but stupid of a comparison.
Christendom grieves for Judas, not hate
him. Judas cries, body convulsing like
a Bimmer written off, worthless. For
it was written, never to be deleted
by fate by divine design that he was
born to betray and pay with his life
his thirty pieces of silver. The only
time when God was not doing His
mysterious ways.
Ellen,
Mayuga is a Gloria general. It will be hard for him to be straightforward. I suspect he will present a few minor facts but overall the report will have been sanitized.
What will be factual will be the various investigation reports that the investigating officers drafted and they are the ones that contain FACTS. It will be interesting to get hold of those initial and separate findings (notes, records, drafts).
The Mayuga report will contain a compilation of those reports but in sanitzed version.
So, it will be a hard, difficult, tough read, an exercise in futility if you ask me…
Jay, you are right! BGen Gudani is an honorable man – he resigned rather than follow the chain of crap.
investigative journalism, hello?
where are you? interview the
soldiers, their kids whatever.
from the officers, you get something
from the generals, you get laughter
over beer. Oh Yeah? not red wine
and Johnny Walker Blue? They really
came a long way considering a soldiers
march is three and half miles per hour
in all kinds of terrain.
Ellen,
Papano kung ang mga Garci Generals ang mag-kudeta? May posibilidad di ba? Kasi sira na ang reputasyon nila lalo na yong Esperon na akala mo kung sino. Si Senga yata ay bakla, manhid. Palagay ko hindi na siya ang hari oops reyna pala ng mga General kundi si Es(Rambo)peron. Pag si Senga ang nag-ladlad (oops) nag-retire pala e di si General Ver (oops ulit) Esperon pala ang papalit sa kanya. Diyan na magma-Martial Law … magkasama na ulit si Marcosa (oops) GLORYA at si Gen Ver (oops ulit) Esperon. tapos ang First Gentleman mag-iipon na ng mga sapatos. Diyos natin huwag naman sana. Iniiiiis!!!!! Copy-miyaw ngaaaaa!!!!!!!!
As usual, the Mayuga report is another cover-up. They are hesitant to make the report public because it is not credible and believable. How do you expect Mayuga to implicate his co-service commanders? That would be suicide for the AFP.
The use of government institutions to cover-up for Gloria’s excesses is one trademark this administration is known for.
Democracy in this country is under siege. The last bulwark of democracy — the Supreme Court — will now play a crucial role in the stability of this country. I hope they do not fail the Filipino people.
I join you in the hope that the SC will not fail the people.
Ellen,
Since NAGHAHAMON na naman si Boytoy Mike Defensor…I think isa pang paraan to SAVE THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES FROM TOTAL DESTRUCTION, to END the RESTIVENESS of the disgruntled soldiers, and TO END THE REIGN OF TERROR BY the ARROYOs… is that for THE ARROYO GENERALS, the PARTICIPANTS in the 2004 Election Cheating (Gens. Esperon, Habacon, Kyamko, Danga, Allaga etc.)…TO ADMIT THAT THEY WERE USED IN THE CHEATING IN THE 2004 Election. I believe that it is time for the USED generals to come out. Although we know that they AGREED to follow the ORDERs of their Commander-In-Cheat because of the promised star-position, IT IS NOW THE TIME FOR RESTITUTION, TO CORRECT THE WRONGS THAT HAS DONE and TO STOP DESTROYING OUR INSTITUTIONS FURTHER. THESE GENERALS WOULD BE THE BEST WITNESSES THAT MIKE DEFENSOR IS LOOKING FOR.
IT IS UP TO THESE GENERALS TO BE MAN ENOUGH!
IT IS UP TO THESE GENERALS TO END THE EVILS OF THE ARROYOs
IT IS UP TO THESE GENERALS TO END THE PEOPLE’S SUFFERINGS!
…SO THAT OUR COUNTRY CAN START REFORMING AND MOVE TOWARDS PEACE AND PROGRESS!
Arroyo will not allow the truth to come out. She will buy off these generals with our money just to bury the truth. If these generals start talking it will lead to her and her husband who planned and ordered the cheating.
As long as Arroyo is in power, there will be no truth and justice.
$$$$ eto dapat gamitin na insignia sa balikat nila esperon, senga lomibao, querol at hindi **** para lalo silang magmukhang matikas sa kanilang plantsadong military uniform.
From now on, Mayuga’s name will be identified with whitewash, of being an instrument in hiding the truth from the public.