piece on PMA; his  reply

TO Rep. Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.,

This pertains to your privileged speech delivered in the halls of Congress before the Holy Week recess, assailing Rear Adm. Amable B. Tolentino for his comments on what to do in resolving any conflict in the contested Spratlys.

You were correct when you lambasted the subject officer for commenting in public on the truth which should have been better left unsaid. You were also correct in putting him in his proper place because, as an officer, his is to follow orders and not to make policies vis a vis matters that are properly left to the Legislative and Executive departments of our government.

However, to assail the Philippine Military Academy for allegedly teaching 12 units of cowardice, to our minds, is not fair and just to an institution that has produced and continues to produce numerous officers who had fought our wars and had given their everything in public service, and in combat against those who pose threats to our national security. In the same way, we should not unnecessarily attribute to any other institution of learning whatever
failure, blunder or crime done by one or a few of its graduates.

Some of our Cavaliers have, indeed, not lived up to our ideals, but we feel that more had suffered and even had sacrificed their lives so that our country, the Philippines, will continue to exist as a free and democratic republic.

We trust, therefore, that should something similar happen in the future, the culprit shall be the only one made to answer for his deeds/misdeeds, and not the institution that has strived to give its best so that its graduates shall possess the character and leadership qualities that will win future wars in spite of the odds facing them.

Although it was said in a privileged speech, a public  apology from the good congressman is in order.

We, at the Association of General and Flag Officers Inc., wish you more power in your pursuit of what is better for our country and people.

Very truly yours,

BGen. Jaime C. Echeverria AFP (Ret)

Chairman/President

Association of General and Flag Officers Inc.

*****

Teddyboy’s reply:

Dear General Echeverria,

You are right. I was wrong to blame the school for producing cowards. The 12 units of cowardice was irony, not allegation; anymore than safecracking was actually taught at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) as a brilliant but too witty RAM colonel quipped when an epidemic of bank robberies staged military-style (all suspects sported crewcuts) broke out upon the unfortunate election of a general to the presidency.

You are right, I was wrong to forget what should have been deeply impressed in my memory, the many officers and men who stood with us in defending our newly own democracy against coups, not to mention the men who staged those coups because they had earned the right to concern themselves about the direction that democracy was taking because they had stood up to the dictator at the height of his power.

I had forgotten the qualities of the officers and men whose paths I crossed as a TV correspondent on their way to battle. I had forgotten Canieso, Gazmin, Dominquez, Bautista and Captain Guinulbay, whom I witnessed being roughed up by his general superiors for testifying at a congressional inquiry on their criminal incompetence, which sent scores of unarmed cadets to their deaths, some by friendly fire.

I had forgotten all the fine combat as opposed to mere desk officers who were fired or are detained for insubordination or mutiny because they would not obey civilian orders to lie under oath, cheat in elections, malverse funds for the mistresses and wives of top generals handling logistics or surrender the Spratlys, not only without a fight but before a fight is even offered by the other side.

I had forgotten that they, too, came from the PMA. I have always held in the highest esteem the “numerous officers who fought our wars and gave their everything in combat against those who pose threats to our national security.”

But you are wrong that officers and men should blindly obey illegal, not to say, in the case of the Spratlys giveaway, treasonous policies even if passed by Congress itself. For soldiers have a duty to the Constitution that is far higher than any owed to their corrupt, not to say treasonous, civilian superiors.

And you are wrong again that one should not fault a school for the scoundrels it produces along with the best that it has made. My law school was not spared well-deserved attacks for the complicity of its alumni in corruption, any more than the other law school was spared for producing Marcos and his lying lieutenants.

But while I can think of no one of such distinction from either law school as to demand an apology for aspersions cast on them, you are right and I admit that, given the qualities of the officers and men I mentioned, it was reckless of me to play fast and loose with the name of the school that made them—along with their craven classmates. But you are wrong to ask for an apology on behalf of your alma mater before it has stricken the names of these cowards from its roster of graduates. Thank you for the opportunity your letter gave me to honor the unsung heroes of the PMA.

Very truly yours,

Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.

Congressman

lst District of Makati City

NOW that the group of John Gokongwei has expressed serious interest to acquire the 40-percent stake of Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) in Petron, expect the last-minute deliberations on the fate of the government’s role in the local oil industry to take a more interesting turn.

There’s a certain irony to the Asian Development Bank holding its annual meeting in Europe.

Malicious, harebrained. These are only two of the words that describe the decision of Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. to hold his own private billiards tournament this week, in exactly the same days that the entire world is watching the Philippine-sponsored international billiards tournament in Mandaluyong City.

Sway: Fighting system loss

Thank you very much, Rep. Amado Bagatsing of Manila. Manila residents should now be grateful that someone like you in Congress has finally bothered to look into the plight of hapless consumers, including them, who are forced by law to shoulder the burden of paying for the inefficiency of electricity producers and distributors.

Rep. Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.: Ex-generals decry Teddyboy’s piece on PMA; his  reply

This pertains to your privileged speech delivered in the halls of Congress before the Holy Week recess, assailing Rear Adm. Amable B. Tolentino for his comments on what to do in resolving any conflict in the contested Spratlys.

Servant Leader: ‘Spe Salvi’–Part XVI

To suffer for others 

To suffer with the other and for others; to suffer for the sake of truth and justice; to suffer out of love and in order to become a person who truly loves—these are fundamental elements of humanity, and to abandon them would destroy man himself.