Update: Senators slam AFP secrecy bid
Malaya Oct. 8 editorial: junk the military secrecy law
by Jocelyn Montemayor
President Arroyo has ordered the defense department and the Armed Forces to work with administration lawmakers and the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office in drafting a bill that will put in place “safeguards against disclosures of military secrets and undue interference in military operations inimical to national security.”
The directives were contained in Administrative Order No. 197 signed by Arroyo Sept. 25.
The order was issued amid Senate hearings on the “Hello Garci” controversy which implicated the military intelligence in illegal wiretapping operations on opposition and administration personalities in 2004.
Malacañang has refused to allow active and former military officers summoned by the Senate to testify.
They are Vice Adm. (ret.) Tirso Danga, chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces (Isafp) when the alleged wiretapping occurred and now presidential assistant to the national security adviser; Gen. (ret.) Efren Abu, former AFP chief and now ambassador to the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area; and Col. Paul Sumayo, Capt. Frederick Rebong and Capt. Lindsay Rex Sagge, Isafp officers who were said to be leaders of the alleged wiretapping operation “Project Lighthouse.”
Arroyo, in EO 197, also contained the following directives to the defense department and the military:
• Accelerate recruitment, training, equipping, and deployment of Civilian Armed Forces Geographic Units (Cafgus) in areas with reduced military presence.
• Punish those who have been collecting salaries for “ghost” militiamen.
• Work closely with the Presidential Human Rights Committee chaired by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita for speedier actions on cases of unexplained killings and forced disappearances, and the drafting and implementation of more effective reforms to avoid human rights abuses.
• Submit a regular report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Davide Commission, which looked into the killings, and the Feliciano Commission which looked into the grievances of junior officers and men who staged the Oakwood mutiny in 2003.
• Update soldiers and the public through media on the status of the implementation of the recommendations, and what other measures have been adopted to avoid military adventurism.
• Work with the presidential adviser on the peace process, the interior department, and local government units in fast-tracking local peace initiatives, including the observance of cease-fires in Bohol and Butuan provinces and other areas of peace assemblies.
• Coordinate with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, and civil society and sectoral groups to urge Congress to approve Proclamation 1377 granting amnesty to members of the Community Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front and other communist rebel groups.
Malacañang sent the Senate and the House certified copies of the amnesty proclamation immediately after Arroyo signed it on September 6.
The proclamation will take effect only upon concurrence by a majority of all the members of Congress.
Inquirer’s story
Anna sees through the real motive:
AdeBrux Says:
October 4th, 2007 at 8:52 pm (Edit this comment)
Ellen,
This is perhaps off topic but it has relevance on why Esperon is playing God:
Arroyo wants law to protect military secrets
The Inquirer reports that Mrs Arroyo has just ordered the AFP and the DND to help craft laws that will safeguare “military secrets” just as the Senate probes were getting underway into allegations that the military wiretapped Arroyo’s phone and other personalities during the 2004 election period that has come to be known as the “Hello Garci” scandal.
Perhaps, this is the reason why the AFP has repeatedly snubbed Senate summons for top military brass to appear before the “Hello Garci” hearings. They have been crafting this plan all along!
Three things come to my mind right off the bat on why Arroyo wants a law crafted that will “protect military secret” — never mind if we don’t have a law yet to that effect as in other countries where certain military secrets are covered by secret service acts approved by Parliament in the case of European countries and Congress in the US, but what is strange is that Arroyo suddenly turns around after years at the helm just when the probes into the election cheatings in 2004 are going full blast today.
Continuation of Anna’s comment:
AdeBrux Says:
October 4th, 2007 at 8:52 pm (Edit this comment)
1.) She doesn’t want to make public the unsanitized version of the Mayuga Report that contains the findings of Admiral Temmy Mayuga’s committee that she formed “to investigate into the 2004 cheating allegations that probably include the names of high power officials in government today and most of all to protect General H Esperon, CSAFP and other generals and military officers who alleged to have helped to ensure her victory in massive cheating operations.
2) She wants to protect herself as there may be ISAFP records, in case these records — and am sure there are — have detailed account of her personal involvement in the cheating operations in 2004 other than the “dagdag, dagdag” discussion with Comelec official Virgilio Garcillano, the alleged mastermind of the cheatings during the last presidential elections.
3) She would like to make it illegal for future military leadership to disclose any of the incidents that really happened during the 2004 election when she is no longer in power for fear that she would be hounded by the nation’s justice system even beyond 2010 when her “term” officially comes to an end.With a law tying the justice system itself, she would be discouraging any enterprising military officer or anybody related to military officials from going public in case 1 & 2 information are indeed in the records of the AFP.
And die with them the secrets of “Hello Garci” (kung meron pang natitira), gera-gerahan sa Basilan, foreign military aids kurakutan, coups na pinagkakakitahan, etc.
Sobra-sobra ang kasalanan ni Gloria sa paggamit ng militar, pero hindi niya pwedeng sekreto forever ang secrets. Actually ay alam na natin ang karamihan, detalye na lang ang sekreto nila.
Very thorough, Anna.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe defines “military secrets” as:
information of military nature, divulgation (disclosure)of which may entail grave consequences for national defense, state security, and Armed Forces” of the country.
The Garci tapes contain secrets about a crime, with perhaps, participation of elements of the military. It is not about the national defense, so not “military secrets”.
Neither is it considered military secrets if the information is about corruption in the military, or other such transgressions.
Atty,
Sa Europe po ‘yan. heheh!
Sa Pinas po ay siguradong ang military secrets na gustong pagtakpan ay tulad ng mga “hello garci”.
I don’t see any reason why a law is necessary to protect military secrets. If a military secret is something fishy, no way it can’t be divulged, in one or another, sooner or later. Kapag may bahong itinago, sisingaw at sisingaw, kung hindi ngayon ay bukas, pagdating ng panahon.
Maraming iniisip itong administrasyon na sadyang nakakaduda kung kaya wala nang naniniwala sa mga pinagsasabi except of course the sycophants na tinatawag na bulag, pipi at bingi. Nang dahil sa salaping sumakamay nila, nagbubulag bulagan, nagpipipihan at nagbibingi bingihan.
Kailangang ma-distinguish yung “military secrets”, ukol sa depensa ng bansa, at secrets of the military personnel – mga karumal-dumal na gawain.
Ang dagdag, ang dagdag.
Yun bang extra-judicial killings, ay military secrets? Or secrets involving the military?
Mukhang taking a page from the playbook of Bush Senior and Junior itong si duwende.
Atty, naboldyak mo na kinokopya ni d’glue si dubya.
Look, naapektuhan tuloy ang image ni Dubya, heheh! Humahabol na siya sa disapproval rating ni Little sister. Kaya cold treatment na ang dinanas ng impakta mula kay Bush in her recent US visit. Sa dami ng propaganda na kesyo bisita daw s’ya sa texas ranch, at one-on-one kay Condi…snubbed lang ang ibinato sa kanya. Buti nagising yata si Bush na nilalaro lang s’ya ni Gloria.
***
Siempre, Pinas military secrets lahat ang sinabi mo. Look at Jonas Burgos and other cases of forced disappearances, sekreto todo-todo sila at inililigaw pa tayo.
We wanted a different military, pero siguro kung hindi na peke ang presidente.
I don’t buy the safeguarding of military secret pretext of Gloria for wanting this law. There’s loads of military and national security top secret reports that have never, ever reached the public and are rightly in the domain of the NSA and rightly so, so why bother with a specific law today?
I have no doubt at all, but not at all, that all this sudden interest and need for a “law” to protect “military secrets” are NOT for the good of the military but to protect her beyond 2010. She is taking no chances and she had better not take chances!
Really, just ask yourself why should she do that? Is there anything so serious in those “military secrets” in her mind that she wants hidden and burried forever?
If our legislators are good (not corrupt), they will see through Gloria ‘s latest ruse and kill that draft immediately! When she’s gone, then we can all talk about it again but not while she’s in Malacanang.
(Besides, who will sponsor a bill through Congress? Of course, who else but her 3 little stooges in the Lower House, Mikey, Dato and Iggy Arroyo! Parbleu!)
She wants an “amnesty me”, pag hindi nakalusot “protect me” naman. Switik na taragis na Kwin Korap na ito.
Gina-gago lang tayo ni Gloriang Putot. Gusto niyang magyari ang ‘illegal acts by the military’ ay maging legal at protected from public scrutiny. Mayroon bang state secrets sa Hello Garci tapes? Walang kinalaman ang pandarambong, manipulasyon at cover-up sa national security. Ang alam ko Victoria secrets itoh.
If the Military establishment do its job legally, there is nothing to be afraid of, or any secret divulged by its personnel. But it it keeps doing some “monkey business” there are always some individual who will let the world knows what’s going on inside the Dirty Confine…
Marami pang ibang “military secrets” na hindi pa nabubunyag.
Secret #1: Bakit “dinugo” si Pandak pag-uwi galing sa NY at nagpacheck-up daw sa Asian Hospital kaagad? Normal lang daw, sabi ni GENERAL Ermita.
Secret #2: Di ba St. Luke’s ang ospital ng mga maligno? Bakit sa Asian Hospital, kung saan na-admit si EMPERADOR para magpa-chemo? Chance encounter na naman? Tsaka ano’ng drama na naman iyang dinugo pero normal lang?
Secret #3: Bakit umiiyak yata si GENERAL, dahil ba napabayaan daw, naungusan na ni Mayuga bilang FOIC, ngayon, matitigok na yata, wala pang natitikmang grasya. Deputy nga siya ngayon ni Norbie sa NSO, wala namang raket. Mahal yata sa Asian Hospital! May balak na kayang kumanta si EMPERADOR bago tuluyang matigok?
Secret #4: Bakit biglang pumayag si Assperon na ipa-APE si Miranda pero ayaw ipa-EC samantalang pareho naman iyon? Natawa tuloy ako ng tawagin ni Ellen yung spokesman ng “Dr. Bacarro”. Dahil ba may balak silang ma-coma si Gen. Miranda? Kunyari pakakainin intravenously, yun pala arnibal ang isinaksak?
Secret #5: Bakit biglang ipinagbawal ang pagdalaw kay Senator Trillanes? Dahil baka maraming madagdag sa mga believers niya kapag nakapasa siya ng batas para sa dagdag-sweldo ng mga sundalo?
Secret #6: Bakit hindi pa rin maibigay ni GENERAL ang report sa pagkawala ni Jayjay Burgos? Dahil hindi pa nakaka-recover sa pag-torture sa kanya, sakaling mabisto ang kinalalagyan niya ay bilang ipakuha ng korte, makikita ang mga marka sa katawan niya?
Yan kaya ang mga MILITARY SECRETS na ayaw nilang mabunyag?
Eh ang mga ‘military secrets’ ngayon under the leadership of Esperon ay tungkol sa mga illegal activities nila! Kaya dapat ay mag-withdraw na ng support ang mga natitirang professional and galant soldiers sa kanilang mga kriminal na leader!!!
Aba, sikat na sikat si Anna ngayon. Ellen even mentioned her name in her column. Thanks Anna for sharing with them all what I have told you (biro lang, di galing sa akin). On the other hand, please take care even if you’re far away in Brussels. GMA’s spies and goons might travel there to harass you. Sumbong ka lang dito sa amin at tutulungan ka namin.
Tongue,
Galing mo talagang mag-enumerate at bumanat!
All these moves simply means they are sweeping all the dirts under the rag!
Emil,
Siguradong wala silang mawawalis dahil naka-epoxy na sa semento ang kanilang mga sekretong dumi.
The way I understand court hearings or anything about court except perhaps court hearings involving minors, whose privacy needs to be protected by all means, they cannot be withheld from the public, so no military secret.
The Mayuga Report came into being or was conducted on the demand of an international body based on petitions for an investigation of the indiscriminate massacre of a certain group of Filipinos who have been critical of bad policies of this regime that many in the targetted group now say even superseded the number of similar massacre conducted during the Martial Rule when FVR was the Chief of Staff ala-Esperon and Enrile was the Secretary of Defense. It should not be considered a military secret.
It is about time that any EO be considered illegal by the other two branches of the government, and any political appointment done by this criminal calling herself president of the Republic of the Philippines be stopped even by public protest like the protest against a silly statement in a soap dish. The criminal has been issuing EOs that should be considered a slur on the image and integrity, honor and dignity of the whole Filipino race.
Kawawang bansa!
Contrary to reports, President Arroyo’s emergency check-up at the Asian Hospital Medical Center (AHMC) in Alabang immediately after arriving from New York was not for a bleeding internal organ, but an alleged talk with a disgruntled former ranking military officer implicated in the “Hello Garci” wiretap scandal who had been feeling mistreated by the administration.
This was the latest twist to the incident last Sunday night that some Palace officials claim was just a regular check-up of the Chief Executive.
The real score was relayed on the floor by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. yesterday.
magandang isayaw ang Riggle It ng 2inaroom.
o kaya ay baguhin na ang musical score ng the price is right, born inda philip ins
gloria’s seeking of a stronger gag law shows that she’s really that desperate to cover all her decays as well as those around her since she cannot say no to them being part of her act of gratitude for their “FULL SUPPORT” in propelling her to power and more continued support to her stay.
we are now starting to feel her authoritarian rule!
it’s time for the few good men left in the uniformed servie to weigh their allegiance and choose which to support – this crazy woman or their oath to the constitution?
……..uniformed SERVICE…….
arroyo puts the military into deep secret to avoid some interrogation regarding her tuta in military. she says; punish the militiamen who are corrupt, like her favorite army men who played puppet to her.
Esperon, Garcia, Ermita, Rebong, Danga, Abu, Sagge. They were the generals who played important roles in her administration. Now, who will put them in jail? She is the law maker and the law breaker.
The wisdom of gag orders is only pertinent to a plan. No need for a gag order on what had already happened. A study on lessons learned is in order for the next planners or for the lawmaker to align their thoughts for future strategies.
Because of cheating, gloria has put the pilipino in shame all over the world. They should blame her so that our doctors and nurses will not suffer the insults.
We cannot blame the producers of the show of the “desperate housewives” to see is to believe!
Welcome Cegav. Pakiusap lang, next time po, huwag ninyong i-capitalize ang inyong comments. Mas magada po basahin kung hindi naka-capitalize. Maraming salamat.
As a general rule, military secrets cannot be disclosed to the public. However, an exception must be made with respect to the covering up of criminal and illegal acts by the military. The military is suspected of engaging in partisan political activity, which is prohibited by the 1987 Constitution, in the Hello Garci Scandal. The military is likewise suspected of engaging in abduction and extra judicial killings in the Burgos case and many other cases. The timing of the issuance of AO 197 is highly suspect and can lead one to conclude that it was issued to cover up illegal activity by the military. I am afraid the Senate must go to court once more to have AO 197 nullified.
Cegav: We cannot blame the producers of the show of the “desperate housewives” to see is to believe!
******
Sinabi mo pa. Para rin iyan sa ginagawang pambababoy ni GLORC sa AFP ngayon. I’d rather sign any petition the Filipinos in America will sign against the present regime instigating them to focus their attention on this silly show and forget the real issues still hanging there back home.
Racial discrimination against Filipinos? Lumang tugtugin na iyan. Dati nang discriminated ang mga pilipino sa America.
We cannot blame the producer? To see is to believe? Napanood na nga eh ano pa ang dapat gawin? We saw it and we believe.