One good thing going for the new Armed Forces chief, Alexander Yano, is that he succeeds Gen. Hermogenes Esperon.
No one could do worse to the military establishment that what Esperon had done – bringing to the pits the reputation of the military establishment with his alleged participation in the 2004 elections fraud and for bullying those who chose to hold on to their principles of truth and justice.
The optimism that greeted Yano’s assumption of the highest military position is amazing. It should warm his heart. But it’s also an awesome challenge considering the damage that Esperon had done not only to the morale of the personnel but also to the personal lives of many of the officers and enlisted men.
Last Tuesday, at the court martial hearing of the 28 officers accused of withdrawing support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006, the atmosphere was full of hope, even cheers. The officers said without Esperon, whose heavy hand made it difficult for the prosecution and panel to assess their case independently, they could now expect a fair trial.
Everybody talks of him as a “professional soldier“, the highest compliment for an officer. Maj. Gen. Miranda, the highest-ranking detainee said he welcomes Yano’s appointment as chief of staff, “He comes without a baggage.”
The feeling that things would be different from now on was reflected in the motion of Alex Avisado, counsel for Maj. Jason Aquino and Capt. Isagani Criste, for the trial judge advocate to again review the cases for a possible recommendation of “nolle prosequi” or “we shall no longer prosecute” to the new chief of staff.
Avisado said with the new chief of staff, who once served as president of the court martial panel and is known for his professionalism, justice may prevail and there would be no need for a trial. The panel granted Avisado’s motion.
Last month, the court also took up the possibility of a “nolle prosequi” but the prosecution said they decided not to make any recommendation to Esperon because upon their review of the cases they found that, “each of the accused, in one way of another participated in the mutiny.” But they left the door open for a “nolle prosequi” if they cannot elicit evidence from the witnesses they have lined up.
Reliable sources said actually, the prosecution discussed the matter of “nolle prosequi” with Esperon who turned it down.
The accused officers are optimistic for a “nolle prosequi” in a fair trial because the preliminary trial investigation report recommended dismissal of mutiny charges for “lack of legal and factual basis”. The lesser offenses of “conduct unbecoming of an officer and gentleman” and “conduct prejudicial to military service and discipline” have prescribed and considered dropped after two years without arraignment.
Sources in the military said Esperon was upset by the PTIR’s recommendation, he asked his staff judge advocate, Col. Pedro Davila to review it. Davila, the source said, at first sustained the PTIR. Esperon, however, insisted that the officers be charged. Later a Pre-Trial Advise signed by Davila but without the signed approval of Esperon, reversed the recommendation of the PTIR.
Other attributes of Yano that officers speak of are his decency and fatherly concern. A few weeks after army officers were brought to Camp Capinpin in Tanay in 2006, Yano came to visit. He was then the commander of the South Luzon Command.
Apparently Yano is concerned with officers who have frustrations about the service. In 2003, when he was the commander of 601 brigade based in Cotabato, he took time out to visit the Magdalo officers then detained at the ISAFP quarters in Camp Aguinaldo. He was the only non-intelligence officer who did it.
A relative of one of the Magdalo officers said the officers were deeply touched by the visit of Yano.
In ANC’s “Strictly Politics” last Tuesday, Yano was asked by Pia Hontiveros about his personal motto and he said “Walk the talk” because he believes in leading by example and doing what he tells his men. Asked what was his motto in the PMA yearbook, he remembered it was, “Tomorrow is far better than today.”
How apt.
Click here for Yano’s summary of information. soi-yano.pdf
I watched the whole interview of Pia with Yano.He was completely an opposite of the ass. He was very humble, modest and very focused. Asspweron whenever he was interviewed always spewed dissent, brags, unkind words to the incarcerated.
The AFP welcomed Yano’s appointment. He is dubbed as the “soldiers’ soldier”.
I hope Ellen that he will be able to finally allow justice to prevail on these incarcerated officers by not meddling in the court martial like what asspweron did the whole time. My biggest concern though is, in the chain of command there are always people above him who are able to pull strings here and there and they are still in their atolen powers. Besides, the Evil Bitch asked Asspweron to hurry back home to serve in the government again. Although now a civilian, asspweron’s influence on the illegal president is still very strong that whatever he says to her may prevail. Malakas siya kay evil bitch for without having cheated for her in 2004, the evil bitch would not have won!
Yano has a very tough role indeed for he has to clean up the mess the asspweron left in the AFP. May you have the strength and resolve to do what is right, Sir Yano!
I’ll wait, not yet ready to say anything positive for Yano. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Let’s not be too sure about Yano. Yano sounds like Unano of Malacanang…
Si Yano naman ngayon. Si Esperon ano na ngayon? LOL
JDV is unusually very quiet these days. It’s his wife Gina who does the talking.
not optimism here yet. baka “me tali sa leeg na parang baka” rin yan. baka lang.
“Yano sugo ni Unano”…I hope not!
Bitchevil, forget JDV because he wallowed in the mud with the evil bitch for a long time. Kung ano ang baho ni evil bitch, ganun din siya. Hindi siya makapiyok dahil maraming alam si evil bitch na “milagro” niya. Maybe his silence is in exchange for leaving the young Joey alone in the ZTE/NBN scam. There is a lot of transactional dealings going on among thieves.
It does seem that there is hope for a better tomorrow for the military particularly Gen. Miranda and Co. magkakaroon na kaya ng tunay na justice ang kanilang “just tiis”. While I want to belief it I really have more doubts and just can not believe Yano’s “walk the walk” and “there is a better tomorrow”/ Yon ang sinabi niya doon..but today is not yesterday and tomorrow will be another day..mukhang malabo na gagawin niya..he is an appointee of Gloria and he will serve Gloria..command responsibility..hindi ba? kaya far far away (malayong malayo) na magkatotoo…
To see is to believe ika nga..kaya ang sinabi ni Yano noon ay hindi ang mangyayari ngayon. Tingnan mo nga…may photo na nga si Gloria at si Mike na naglalakad sa tinding init sa golf course sa China…hindi pa rin daw kasangkot sa ZTE..R & R lang daw…
To see is to believe ika nga..kaya ang sinabi ni Yano noon ay hindi ang mangyayari ngayon. Tingnan mo nga…may photo na nga si Gloria at si Mike na naglalakad sa tinding init sa golf course sa China…hindi pa rin daw kasangkot sa ZTE..R & R lang daw…
Here’s a portion of Armida Siguion Reyna in her Tribune article. She’s apparently reading our blog and so are the many prominent people…
“One only needs to read Ellen Tordesillas’s blog at http://www.ellentordesillas.com, to get an on-going account of the many times the jailed officers felt themselves at the low-end of Esperon’s sense of justice, from unscheduled trials suddenly going on without informing the defense, to the denial of a soldier’s request to see a sister on her deathbed, in order to fully appreciate their present confidence over Yano’s ascendancy.”
Tanay Boys’ Mutiny case: General Yano may pag-asa ???? Let’s wait and see. He should dissolve Assperon’s Kangaroo Court and then order re-investigation of alleged mutiny.
Malaking milagro ang R&R sa Tsina ay ang dating built-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme ay naging government to government contract plus $100+ Million tongpats. Gloria buking ka na!
Esperon is not yet history. He will still be very much a fixture in the criminal’s court. He is getting another court jester appointment, and the creep may still have such hold on Yano.
Hopefully, though, Yano is of another breed. There are a number of prominent Yanos in Japanese history, and a lot many of these people were respectable Samurais. One of them could be Yano’s ancestors. Who knows? But like Chi, I will reserve my assessment of this guy for later. For one thing, I am wary about his appointment on the recommendation of that ass guy. As the old saying goes, “Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are.”
Diego, I would say just dissolve the kangaroo court, period! If there was any mischief on the part of the Tanay Boys, they already more than paid for it by their long incarceration. These honorable men should be released, PRONTO!
With Yano there is hope? Don’t get your hopes up. Remember what the good people said of Gloria Arroyo.
I wonder where Cardinal Sin is now – up or down there?
in Yano’s interview with strictly politics, he virtually, explicitlyand implicitly issued tirades against Esperon.
1. physical fitness – Esperon was a limping overweight General while Yano a record holder of the 400 meter dash.
2. independence of the court martial – Esperon was obsessed on having the Tanay boys convicted by his regular mobile calls to Fojas, and by monitoring the event through a video camera. Yano says he shall stay away and respect the independence of the court.
3. role of the wife – Esperon’s wife Lorna was clearly an influential power peddler in V Luna while Yano’s wife Stella is according to the husband ‘simple’ and ‘knows her role’ unlike the evil witch Lorna.
4. meritocracy and not who you know – we all know how esperon got his juicy posts by his padrinos in the palace. he never climbed the military ladder as Yano did step by step since the ASS spent only 4 years in the battle field. Esperon relies on politicality for survival while Yano on merits.
5. walk the talk – Yano’s lifestyle is completely the opposite of Esperon’s. the ASS parties like hell and displays his wealth, guards and position, while Yano maintains a simple, dignified and humble lifestyle worthy of respect and emulation.
6. leadership by example – esperon could not have led by example cos he never experienced the life of a true Filipino soldier in the first place. Yano did.
Esperon upon watching the interview, mustve summoned his midgets to a drinking session and lost so much sleep. Imagine your successor saying these things on national television, virtually bashing your reign. Kunin niyo ung UNITY WALK video nung february 25 this year, see how Yano’s face was. he disapproved of being used as props by the egotistic bastardo Esperon!
Berchmans, I saw the uneasy expression on Yano’s face at the Unity Walk. He also did not stay next to the ass.
Let us see how independent Yano is from the ass now that he has the CS position.
One thing I also observed while Yano was being groomed for the position was that he was very quiet. The only statement he made was about the Mayuga report. That he will not make the report public while he is a CS. The ass probably made him issue that statement and maybe made this a condition for his endorsement as a CS. On the contrary, when the ass was being groomed to be the CS,then just the army chief, he had press releases almost everyday that he will incarcerate the Tanay Boys. He had so much hate for these men!
Off topic but Inquirer reports, “BI files malversation raps vs Lozada.” If this is not injustice, what is? Point is why is he not given protection by the Senators who forced him to testify against the crooks involved in the NBN/ZTE scandal?
No wonder no one wants to witness right now against the Dorobo. Hopefully, someday, when the Filipinos have learned their lesson well, and their justice system changed to the better with no political appointee sitting as judges of the courts, etc., Lozada and all those subjected to this kind of injustice will be able to sue the government and demand compensation for what they have been made to suffer.
Kahit ano pang gawin ni Gloria Dorobo, everybody knows Lozada is not the culprit. The NBI for instance has already a tarnished image. What the idiots following the order of the criminal whom they should arrest instead do not seem to realize is that they are adding more to the bad reputation agency made useless by graft and corruption.
Kawawang bansa!
Chi says “I’ll wait, not yet ready to say anything positive for Yano. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
I say the same thing, Chi.
I know Yano personally — he is a hustler, sedate perhaps but a hustler nevertheless, formed in the same mould as his superiors.
But ever the optimist, I believe people change. However, like Chi, he must show proof that he has changed and is prepared to meet the forces of evil head on, to bring morality and professionalism to the AFP that has been morally bankrupted by the malevolent efforts of Gloria and Esperon,.
…to the bad reputation of this agency made useless by graft and corruption….
I have high hopes for the new AFP Chief of Staff Alexander Yano. My gut feel tells me that he will do much better than his predecessor,Jun Esperon.Of course,I have always believed that anybody would do better than Esperon(but that’s another subject).
I have been closely monitoring General Yano’s career.He seems to be of the “professional soldier” mold rather than the “political lap dog” profile clearly characterized by Esperon and a few other political generals of the AFP.
Here are some of his personal beliefs:
1)Good leaders do what they preach, and they must “walk the talk”.
2)Good leadership will also require a high level of moral and ethical standards that our men will emulate.
3)Our military commanders must be with the men in the field, sharing their difficulties and closely supervising their actions.
Really AdeBrux? How about Ltc.Ernesto Torres? I’ve met him before but I don’t know him well enough to say anything about him. Actually, I’ve met or bumped into some military hotshots at some time in my existence but my head screams ‘corrupt yan!’ whenever I see them. Kasi naman yung mga tinitingala ko talaga nakakulong eh.
So who knows this guy’s reputation? 🙂
‘‘All things considered, Yano could be Tweedledum to Esperon’s Tweedledee.’ – Malaya editorial
The “gang” of the corrupt generals and cols with the ass are still in the force. It would be very challenging for Yano to reform them. It is like treaching old dogs new tricks. Almost impossible!
It is like teaching old dogs new tricks.
Have you forgotten that Yano was the one who terminated the services of enlisted Scout Rangers last Christmas day?
Let’s wait and see.
Now, not to forget. Yano, soldier, is sworn to uphold the Constitution. This includes to protect the Office of the President, to accept the decisions of the Philippine Supreme Court and treaties signed by the President as ratified by the Congress; to follow laws passed by Congress.
I suppose he is now CS because the upper-echelons know his/Yano’s attitude towards Oakwood and “Manila Pen” ‘demonstrations-kuno’ ala-Trillanes.
BTW, with Filipinos being all over the world, has anyone heard if there has been a Filipino casualty in the China earthquake. Are all the Filipinos in China been accounted for. Over here, the government has already accounted for the 200 or more Japanese in the Sichuan province, and all reported OK.
I’ve heard of the attempt by the creep to show off by volunteering to send some medical team, etc. to China, but I have not heard nor read of any order to the DFA to check on the Filipinos there. Talaga naman, oo! 🙁
I’m sure there are Filipinos scattered all over China. I’m sure Fil-Chinese frequently visits China during the last decade. GMA government never cares anyway. GMA could have only checked on her ZTE friends to see if they are okay.
Bitch,
You’re right. There are swamps of Filipinos in Hongkong, Macau, Shanghai, Bejing, and a few yayas at Shenzhen. The bulk of Filipinos from the outbacks of China are in Divisoria, I mean those soon to be Filipinos.
Please don’t call me Bitch. Evil is better or my full name Bitchevil. Thanks.
Bet you lalong dadami ang intsik sa iba’t ibang lugar. Golly, ang exodus ng mga nasalanta sa Sichuan. Lakad na lang sila papunta kung saan. Walang nasalba. Kawawa naman. I just called up our NTT (telephone company) that is collecting 105 yen each from all callers using NTT for the China disaster.
Ang grabe iyong mga sinungaling ding mga intsik na pinabayaan pala iyong nasa ibang lugar na walang nagbi-videong media. Two days na walang ginawa at iyong pinapakita sa TV ay for publicity stunt lang. Nang magalit ang mga taumbayan saka lang ngayon nanghihingi ng tulong sa ibang may kakayanan sa mga ganitong kalamidad. Kaya pala mahigpit din sila sa mga foreign media sa pagpapadala ng mga balita sa bansa nila. Ang corruption nga naman. Ma-democratic, ma-communist, walang pinag-iba!
Hindi ko mahuhusgahan pa ngayon si Yano. Di ko siya kilala. Ang alam ko lang yung kanta ng Yano:
“Banal na aso
Santong Kabayo,
Natatawa ako,
Hihihihi….”
Dedicated yan sa bagong retire na Aso.
bitchevil,
Sorry, but thanks for the clarification. I guess D is your maiden initial.
No Valdemar, N is my middle initial…Bitch N Evil.
We can’t really blame China for controlling the media report of the recent earthquake. It’s too negative for the coming Beijing Olympic. One reason why China at first declined to ask for foreign help was pride. At least, China now is open to aides from outside unlike Myanmar where the military leaders continue to refuse.
Bitchdevil:
The Junta in Burma, like the Pidal government, is not actually refusing material and monetary contributions/donations for the cyclone victims in Burma. They’re only refusing the foreign aides (tao) except for some Thai medics. The crooks there are hoping to get millions of donations from the UN, etc. just like what the burot in Malacanang and her minions try to take advantage of when there isa similar disaster in the Philippines. Pinagkakakuwartahan din iyan ng mga kurakot as a matter of fact.
Mahirap talaga ang mayabang. Wala rin palang ibubuga! Hopefully, there will be no earthquake around Beijing and Shanghai during the Olympics. You can just imagine the destruction when that happens with all the high rise buildings being built there sans any construction standard to prevent buildings there from collapsing as they did in Sichuan.
Walang pinag-iba doon sa Ruby Tower na condo ng mga intsik sa Ongpin in the 60’s. Kawawa naman iyong mga nalibing ng buhay. Kawawa rin iyong mga batang nawalan ng mga magulang. Nakakaiyak!
Gen Yano is a gentleman’s gentleman. He is an officer and a gentleman from top to bottom and you can expect proper behavior befitting an officer coming from him.
Not to be compared to Esperon whose official title is Lap dog, Gopher and prized bull of the present dispensation. He is a general without an official title because during his term, if you’d like to call it that, no one was really running the AFP.
I’d go to war with Gen. Yano any day. I can’t say the same for Esperon as I would not want to turn my back on him. I may just get stabbed if i do.
One other officer and a gentleman i miss sorely is Col. Querubin. He has done nothing to deserve what he is going through these days. If anything, Col Querubin is a highly decorated AUTHENTIC war hero. He spoke his mind against this government, and this is how they treat a war hero.
God bless you, Col. Querubin!