These are interesting times.
The Philippine National Police did Lt. Gen. (ret.) Fortunato Abat a big favor by arresting him two days after he declared himself president of a revolutionary transition government at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan, midnight of Dec. 13, some few hours after a mass that started the commemoration of the first death anniversary of Fernando Poe Jr., the man whom Gloria Arroyo cheated out of the presidency in 2004.
The arrest of Abat yesterday happened hours before the arrival of former President Estrada at the Santuario de San Jose, also in Greenhills, a short distance from Club Filipino.
(Photo by Rolly Salvador)
Estrada, the person Gloria Arroyo grabbed the presidency from in 2001, was to attend the wake of his elder brother, Antonio.
If the public gave scant public attention to Abat last Tuesday night, he hogged the TV headlines yesterday. Abat’s statement on his arrest is a plaintive appeal for military support:
“I have served my country for over 50 years. As a teenaged guerilla fighter, as a soldier who fought in the jungles of Mindanao, as leader of the army, as ambassador, as a conscientious worker tasked with bringing peace and reconciliation with our Muslim brothers.
“After all the toils and sacrifices for the country that I have gone through, I should be living now a life of peace and quiet. But I am not. Indeed I find it a shame that given the ills and misrule that bedevil our beloved country, none of our young generation of leaders would stand up and tale the lead to do something.
“I am now in my sunset years. Yet I dared in this hour of need of our country. Where are our youthful leaders? Many who are expected to respond to the plea of our people for a change are instead in the sidelines and ridiculing the effort of those who out of sense of patriotism choose to act.”
It’s not blindness to the moral bankruptcy of the Arroyo administration or the lack of patriotism that has prevented the younger military officers to come out. It’s prudence.
It’s careful military strategy.
A military source describes the situation as “a game of smoke and mirrors, played by both sides.”
Abat’s proclamation of a transitory revolutionary government and his subsequent arrest are the latest developments in a highly-charged atmosphere which started last week with a series of curious bombings last Dec. 7, which some suspect was an attempt by GMA forces to smoke out the leaders of the restless military officers. It looks like they did not succeed.
Here comes Abat. However, the problem of Abat and constant companion in his crusade, FVR’s budget secretary Salvador Enriquez, untainted their motives may be, is that they are identified with President Fidel V. Ramos.
So when Abat moves, the question in many people’s minds is, what does Ramos want this time? Abat and Enriquez are intelligent persons. They know what they are doing. They know that simply declaring a revolutionary government would not generate a critical mass, the tipping point that the restless military officers are waiting for.
So why did they do it? Is this another strategy to shake down Arroyo to make her agree to FVR’s proposal for a charter-change early next year and for her to cut her term by four years?
It will be recalled that when Gloria Arroyo was on the verge of falling on July 8, Ramos came to her rescue. She welcomed him heartily despite the fact that the day before he presented a “grateful exit” scenario for her.
After she survived the resignation of 10 of her key officers and the impeachment complaint, she made sure that if there has to be charter change, she will continue to hold on to power as president and prime minister until 2010. The draft Constitution in the House of Representatives has that provision.
People did not march to Club Filipino and the reform-minded members of the military did not move in response to Abat’s call. But the PNP did. Abat succeeded in underscoring the paranoia among Arroyo’s forces. That’s instructive for those who are observing and waiting for the right timing.
If you factor in the escape of Oakwood mutineer Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon last Wednesday, during a court hearing, while being secured by members of Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces, it looks like things are indeed moving underneath the game of smoke and mirrors.
But the same military officer sadly mused: “We are merely collateral damage caught between an administration that cannot govern and an opposition that cannot get its act together.”
Sa lagay nating ito, mauunahan pa tayo ng mga IRAQI sa DEMOKRASYA. Katatapos lang nila ng parliamentary elections, habang tayo nagkukudeta and gumagawa ng plano para sa parliamentary at federal at kung anoano pa. Yang si Abat … palagay ko pakawala ni Almonte at FVR “to change the subject”. Halatang halata sa interview ni Joe kay Pia Hontiveros, gustong ibalik sa chacha ang usapan, hindi si Garci. Kaya ako dedma sa storyang yan. Sa Korte Suprema dapat nakatuon ang pansin. Doon tayo kikitilin!
Tanggalin ang sentimyento di pimyento parang gusto ko maniwala ke Rizalist
pero gusto kong maniwala na di lang si ramos ang may pakana nito
anna debrux inputs please…..
naalala ko conspiracy theories ko ke Senator Dick Lugar, John Negroponte
ang pagkontra ng Britanya sa France at germany hanggan ngayon re:agri subsidies pero bulagbulagan sa tate
me nakikita akong internationmal flavor na nangyayari
nakakinggit ang Iraq at Kuwait nakapag football na
tayo laging kulelat sa football
…………………………………………………..
pasaporte ni garci
sus drivers license nga ng adik at lasinggerong driver pwede mapeke
passport pa
………………………..
bolante
di pwde imbitahin yan nasa Rotary meeting eh………
sandra Cam tinanggalan ng security
babay jueteng gate…..
Rizalist ito opinyon ng palagi din natin binibisita na blog
Ricky Carandang
December 15th, 2005 23:26 13A de Brux
I don’t believe that FVR had anything to with Abat’s little scheme either.
And while I do find his action silly, I retain a large measure of respect for the man.
Abat has literally fought for this country and paid a heavy price. His sons joined the military and I beleive one even died in battle.
You are absolutely right. He dared the powers that be and stood up for what he believed in at the risk of his freedom and public humiliation.
How many people are there in the DFA, the Comelec, the AFP, and other government offices who have knowledge of what really happened in the last election but refuse to come forward out of fear or narrow self interest?
Looking at it from that perspective one could argue that Abat is a bigger man then them.
Ito naman sagot ko sa sagot nya sakin…
karl
December 16th, 2005 05:09 9Ricky Carandang
December 15th, 2005 16:16 11Karl,
I agree. There is no connection between Abat and the escape of Faeldon. I can’t there is no connection between some of the other events though.
……………………………………….
If there is interconnection to others it still not seditious
OO nga ano next week retirement na ni Davide
mag forward looking nga taong lahat
ok ba Rizalist
kelangan ang JBC transaparent pakita nila resulta ng psycho analysis resume ng lahat
at essay test ipakita nila para mabasa natin kandidato
kahit maging si Miriam pa yan pakita nyo lahat
44. Karl wrote on December 16th, 2005 at 8:24 am
What can we say bout the proposal to scrap 2007 elections?….
Karl : anti terror bill approved lower what about upper forget upper bicam nga pala systema dito
DAMN THE GENERALS AND THE AFP
YOU ARE THERE TO GUARD AND PROTECT THE
PEOPLE’S RIGHT AND NOT TO SERVE
AN UNWORTHY PERSON LIKE GLORIA ARROYO !!!
AFP HAS BEEN CORRUPTED AND THE
INSTITUTIONS HAS BEEN DAMAGED
BY CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THEIR
CHIEF OF STAFF WHO RIGGED, CHEATED THE
MANDATE OF THE PEOPLE !!!
WHERE IS YOUR LOYALTY ? ISN’T IT TO THE
PEOPLE NOT TO “ONE” PERSON ?
YOUR SUPERIOR’S LEGITIMACY IS BEING
QUESTIONED AND NOW THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION
IS INVOLVED, THE LEADERSHIP IS DOING NOTHING
ALL IN THE PRICE OF MONEY AND POSITION ?
IT”S ABOUT TIME TO
CLEAN UP THE MESS !!! AND SAVE WHATEVER
DECENCY AND INTEGRITY IS LE FT IN THE
AFP LEADERSHIP …
WE CALL ON ALL MIDDLE-RANKING OFFICERS
UNITE AND CLEAN UP THE ORGANIZATION
BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE …
IT’S TIME TO SEPARATE THE SOLDIERS
OF THE PEOPLE AGAINST THE PRIVATE ARMY
OF GMA !!!
– ” EVIL ALWAYS TRIUMPH WHEN GOOD MEN DO NOTHING “
Karl — Ang sinabi ko “pinakawala” hindi “plinano” o “ginawa”. Kasi kung plinano at ginawa noong mga iyon, eh di hindi tumiklop yan at naging “pathetic and amusing”. Clue din kasi yun: “amusing”!
Karl, I think I’ve met your Dad. Didn’t he appear in “Strictly Politics” one time together with Gen. Gudani and Col Balutan?
Re question about proposal to scrap the 2007 elections, here’s atext message from Rep. Roilo Golez:
“The Consultative Commission’s proposal to postpone the 2007 election and extend the term of elective officials to 2010 is an indecent proposal.”
Even if Abat’s move is part of FVR’s agenda, I still would like to look at it for the substance of his cause, which is to uphold the truth and righteousness. In ways that we can’t see right now, his action have helped the cause of reform-minded military officials.
Miss Ellen,
If that were more or less two months ago
I believe he is the one
E-mail from Salina:
I was wrong when I said nobody even trying to fight the corrupt stolen gov’t of Gloria Arroyo. When one of the Oakwood soldiers escaped, my heart beat faster and I prayed to God that he’s the answer to kick Gloria Arroyo from her stolen power.
I’m so frustrated everytime I see or read about the corruption in the gov’t. How can anybody let her get away with everything even though there is solid evidence against her.
Are the filipino people afraid or they’re just waiting for miracle to rescue us from this evil regime of this bugos president. How can the PNP/MILITARY who’s supposed to protect the people not protect the people but only protect Gloria Arroyo and her corrupt cronies. How can you justify that.
I tried going to your Blog: http://www.ellentordesillas.com but no avail. Perhap the aol is blocking me. If you can go to AOL PHILIPPINES MESSAGE BOARD I ALWAYS POST ALL MY FRUSTRASTION IN THE MESSAGE BOARD. THANKS! SALINA
Statement of Partido ng Manggagawa and Sanlakas:
Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) and Sanlakas condemn the warrantless arrest of retired general and former Secretary of Defense Fortunato Abat and company. While we do not support Abat’s proclamation and formation of a ‘revolutionary transitional government,’ we condemn the Arroyo government’s suppression of Abat’s freedom to denounce the illegitimacy of the Arroyo regime and declare the need for a transitional government to take its place. He is correct in calling for the ouster of the corrupt GMA regime and its replacement by a transitional government, however he is wrong to form the transitional government when the people are not convinced yet that it is the alternative. And foolish to make himself head of it. As Abat’s out-of-the-blue declaration of a transitional government is premature, now is the time to enlighten the people on a transitional revolutionary government as a means of changing the rotten system.
Meanwhile Pm and Sanlakas welcome the recent escape of Marine Captain Nicanor Faeldon of Magdalo. We call on him to pursue his ideals but he should not limit them to only cleansing the government but also towards a thorough democratization in society. We are sure that the workers and the poor are more than willing to accommodate and hide him among their ranks where he will be safe.
Karl,
I don’t believe FVR has real “control” over General Abat. To a certain extent, Abat is his own man although they were molded by the same institution and worked together. When Abat worked under Ramos as his DND Usec and DND Sec successively, that didn’t mean that Abat “toed FVR’s line” all the way. (by the way, Karl, “to toe the line” is a naval term – ask your Dad about it!)
They have a mutual friend who is more than a best friend to both, Salvador Enriquez, former DBM Chief who I know personally. Enriquez has always been cautious and quite careful with the management of his Department when he was its head but this man who grew up in the streets of Domingo Santiago area in Manila and became a high-caliber govt official, retained the ardour of the common man and has been known to have a sense of fair play.
I suspect, Enriquez is the real (weak?) link between the two.
FVR cannot lead a coup even if he wants to. Some junior officers who served with him in Malacanang are loyal to him but these same officers are not thought of highly within the officers’ ranks, besides, they have been “civilianized” too long to rouse support.
The AFP, basically, most officers and men, young and old do not trust the man. To follow a leader to “death”, that leader must inspire greatness. I don’t believe that Ramos inspires that quality.
The civilian population may reminisce the time when he was president – the country inspired more respect internationally and even locally. There was a certain form of stability. But that ended because basically, Ramos opted to politicise, literally going overboard with politics, every insitution instead of leading it. On balance, he should have exercised the kind of leadership he knew best – military leadership – and should have dealt with government in a similar fashion. Had Ramos not become a “tradpol” The Estrada presidency probably would not have happened and all these crises could have been avoided. But that’s all water under the bridge!
As for Captain Faeldon, I say “Go, Captain, Go!”
Karl,
Lastly, another link between Abat and FVR is FVR’s former PSG Chief (Class 66). He is like silent water that runs deep. Good guy!
However, one man who keeps saying he’s an FVR man but must not be trusted is special spook Joe Calimlim – big talker but no fire in his belly.
Thanks Anna de Brux
You have always been my source of information especially on questions am afraid to ask my dad
when you say ask your dad…no need
the way I read this is this is a year long event with a few commercials in between
that no 2007 elections will be tackled then forgotten then revived
they are killing jueteng gate now because for some reasonm then maybe revive it later
the garci situation if things got forgotten before jan 25
let us see…
of course there is x mas,new year and three kings
FIRST PRIORITY AFTER DAVIDE RETIREMENT IS ENTERTAIN EVERYONE THROUGH THE METRO MANILA FILM FESTIVAL AND MAKE FERNANDO AND ATIENZA WORK DOUBLE OVERTIME
Karl,
It’s sad that people should have a short memory only for things that matter and a long, vindictive memory for things that don’t matter an iota.
One thing that we must be wary is when people flaunt the rule of law thereby breaching the constitution, the essence of civilization. I believe these events and people who caused them to happen must not be forgotten.
In justifying the arrest of Abat, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales, kept on saying,”rule of law”. Wow!
Did Gloria think of that when she thwarted the will of the people in the 2004 elections in connivance with Garcillano?
Going back further, did she think of that when she grabbed power from an elected president in January 2001?
Did she think of that when she used money for farm fertilizer for her election campaign?
The list is long.
Ellen,
That’s why I call DOJ Gonzales a moron! He cannot understand the rule of law despite the years of extensive studies he’s apparently done.
By the way, my niece who got wedded yesterday, once raised the name of Gonzales to ask him to be a ninong (her husband is a lawyer who sort of knew Gonzales daw) and I was to be one of the ninangs. I told her (and her then husband to be), “You do that and I will forget that you ever existed!” I don’t know if they decided not to ask the moronic Gonzales because of my threat or because they realized themselves that the man was not worth the honor.
The fault is not in our stars but in ourselves.