PGMA's Speech during the 40th Foundation Day Anniversary of the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP)

PGMA's Speech during the 40th Foundation Day Anniversary of the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP)

NDCP Auditorium, Diosdado Macapagal Hall Camp Aguinaldo, QC (12 August 2003)

Thank you so much, Secretary Reyes.

Commodore Chuck Agustin, Secretary Joey Lina, Congressman Plaza, other officers of the National Defense College, General Abaya, General Razon, other officers of the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police, trustees and other alumni of National Defense College, faculty members of National Defense College, awardees, ladies and gentlemen:

As I guess, you have learned by now, today, is a special day for me. Forty years ago today, NDCP was founded by my father, President Diosdado Macapagal. As Chuck Agustin says that makes my father the father of NDCP, that makes me the sister of NDCP. happy ruby anniversary then brothers and sisters of this institution. this anniversary is also auspicious because our national security has just successfully withstood a great challenge.

The mutiny was squelched in the first day -- thanks to many of you -- followed by a State of Rebellion lasting 15 days. There is no longer a need for extraordinary measures to deal with the direct threat although strategic causes must be uprooted.

In this task of uprooting the strategic causes, I know I will find good allies in my brother institution, the National Defense College.

For the past forty years, you have gathered a wealth of knowledge in many things including rebellions, insurgencies and coups. And rightly so, as Chuck Agustin said, therefore, you have an important role to play.

I'm instructing Secretary Reyes to institutionalize a course on coup d'etat, conspiracies, operations and consequences in all our military schools. I expect the NDCP to take the lead in drafting the course plan for this.

We are consolidating rapidly within the armed forces. We now have a good idea of who were the leaders and co-conspirators, who were the simple followers and the innocents, mainly the deceived and misled. We will deal with these groups under a range of actions commensurate to their depth and scope of involvement under strict standards of justice and due process.

The respective commanders of the coup participants should be made to feel accountability for the actions of the participants under their command. Victor Corpus was not the only fall out of the coup. The head of SWAG has resigned his command, because he had committed to me, the day before the coup, that if even one of his men would join, he would resign. I commend him for his sense of accountability. likewise, I commend the likes of Danny Lim who were able to persuade a large number of their men originally part of the plot not to proceed with their plans. The government has to institutionalize this sense of accountability. This will help deter future coup attempts. But, of course, this has to be done with a sense of fairness and sensitivity to the military culture. And that is part of how the NDCP must contribute to what Secretary Reyes calls the learning and the wisdom to face these challenges of society.

All detainees have access to lawyers and medical attention. There is transparency in all military and civil investigations and processes. Charges of human rights violations are a figment of propaganda.

While several leaders continue to be at large, they shall be accounted for by the normal run of law intelligence, law enforcement, investigative and judicial processes. This shows the shallowness of the conspiracy as well as the unremitting capacity of our democratic system to mete out justice and due process.

Let justice take its course blindly and inexorably. The court will take charge of these matters. For the rest of Philippine society, let's now banish any residual fears and get on with the normal course of work and business.

All allegations of corruption in the armed forces shall be investigated expeditiously and thoroughly. I ask any junior officers with knowledge of such activities or who claim knowledge of such activities to bring evidence before the department of justice. You shall be protected in your fight for the truth. There will be no whitewash or looking the other way. If there's evidence, there will be prosecution. If guilt is proven, people will go to jail, whatever the rank or command.

On grievances, a common theme I've been hearing about since I was a senator is the conversion and retention of funds at headquarters or senior level, so what trickles down they say, to the juniors at field level, where the actual combat takes place, is a fraction of the true budget. This naturally gives rise to opportunities for corruption at the senior or headquarters level.

The heart of this structural problem seems to be the power that AFP comptrollers have accumulated over the years such that comptrollers actually themselves disburse converted cash to field officers. To the extent, it is operationally necessary to maintain cash reserves for disbursement to the field as contingencies arise. Rather than comptrollers, I am directing that the Chief of Staff have sole authority to disburse cash reserves from now on.

I am also directing the chief of staff to computerize the financial records and systems of the AFP.

These are quick remedial measures. But we also need reforms, deep reforms in the AFP, and we need an anti-corruption drive in the organization.

Two task forces shall be organized within the DND, each to be headed by undersecretaries. One of them shall be headed by the new one, handpicked by me, NDCP graduate Batch 30, Connie de Guzman. These two task forces shall be funded directly by the Office of the President.

Connie's task force shall focus on studying quickly and reforming the AFP's procurement process and fund disbursement. The task force must contract as consultants, advisers or members management organization experts like Vic Limlingan of the Asian Institute of Management and personalities known for their integrity like Renato De Villa. This task force should include representatives from the COA and the DBM familiar on how corruption works in government procurement and disbursement practices -- who, in fact, have already formed a task force at the DBM level to study this. They should be conjoined. I expect the task force to complete a management audit in a month;s time. I also choose Connie because she is a certificate course holder on internal audit. I expect this task force, after that month's time, to discuss the findings with the major services, and implement the reform in another month's time. This task force shall later on be institutionalized, through a presidential executive order, as a permanent office in the DND tasked solely to review continuously AFP procurement and funds disbursement.

The second task force should an anti-corruption unit that would work with the Ppresidential Anti-Graft Commission. Other than acting and investigating complaints of corruption, and making sure that the Deputy Ombudsman for Military Affairs does its job and acts swiftly on such cases, this task force would undertake comprehensive lifestyle checks, in the manner we've been doing for customs, BIR and DPWH. I commend Secretary Angelo Rreyes for being the first to set the example in submitting himself to the investigation of this task force. One work of this task force obviously would be to make firm recommendations for evicting officers occupying AFP residences past the regulations. This task force later on shall be institutionalized as an internal affairs-type of office in the DND or AFP.

A similar approach shall be simultaneously undertaken for cleaning up the PNP. A already announced this in the state of the nation address that this shall be done under the PNP reform commission which shall be the new nature of the independent Al-Ghozi fact-finding committee after it submits its findings to me on Al-Ghozi on the 15th of this month.

We have seen a misadventure in counter-reform. We shall answer it with more reform. We have seen an exercise in political illegitimacy. We shall answer it with the greater force of the Constitution and the law.

Let us get back to our most basic priorities and strive harder to attain our basic goals of jobs, food on every table, homes, education and, of course, peace and security.

The hunt for Al-Ghozi will continue without letup. This is vital to the cause of fighting transnational terrorism. He has gone to roost with foreign terrorist cells training in Mindanao that must be neutralized at all costs to preempt their movement across borders. Nagsimula na tayo ng napaka nakatukoy na mga operasyon na tanging pakay ay si Al-Ghozi at kaniyang grupo. We have no desire to widen the area of engagement beyond what's necessary. Umaasa tayo sa kooperasyon ng milf sa ilalim ng kanilang mga pangako sa proseso ng kapayapaan. Ang mga pwersang nasa loob ng mga salitang kapayaan ay dapat tumabi at hayaan ang mga lehitimong pagpapatupad or law enforcers. Forces within the purview of the peace talks must allow pursuit operations to proceed unhampered.

The government is relying mainly on the Philippine National Police in cooperation with our local executives to prevent possible terrorist attacks. Because of the bombings in Jakarta, we've raised our level of alert. The use of marines for law enforcement would be a last resort in the event there is a need for greater deterrence and visibility of law enforcers in the metropolitan area. We've done this in the past. In fact, we've done this at the recent past and national television showed Choly Teodosio giving his pep talk to his marines, and they were all their high morale ready to defend the constitution. But thanks to many people in this room, including Chuck Agustin, we did not need to use the force. needless to say that episode, that role of the marines that they were ready to play on full television coverage has been played by the marines in the past in the urban areas. It contributed much to the sense of security of our people. But at this moment, we are not going to mobilize them for urban peace and order. We will do everything under the law to ease public fears and anxieties and promote the normal run of commerce and livelihood.

I've mentioned a few individuals, but there are too many individuals to mention if I want to be exhaustive in acknowledging those who helped keep that crisis to a 20-hour period. Therefore, to make a more general acknowledgement, allow me to preside over a brief ceremony.

I would like to ask AFP Chief of Staff General Abaya and to represent Jun Ebdane, who's still there in Mindanao running after Al-Ghozi, I would like to ask Sonny Razon, who is the partner of Chuck Agustin in heading the PMAAA, to join me in the stage for a moment.

Today, I'm awarding a Presidential citation to the PNP and the AFP.

The Philippine National Police is cited as follows:

In recognition of its courageous and faithful performance of duties and responsibilities, which effectively maintained peace and order, and contained the area of public disturbance on 27th July 2003;

For its steadfast dedication to promoting peace and order and ensuring public safety;

For reinforcing the strong sense of professionalism among the civilian police force of the Republic of the Philippines;

In appreciation of its integrity, devotion to duty and commitment to professional competence and moral excellence, qualities worth emulating by all civil servants and deserving of the respect and admiration of the Filipino people.

I give this award to the Philippine National Police.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is cited as follows:

In recognition of steadfast loyalty to the Philippine Constitution, as exemplified by the unwavering commitment to defend it against forces that dared threaten it on 27 July 2003;

For courageous and faithful performance of their duties and responsibilities, which prevented possible losses to lives and property;

For reinforcing the strong sense of professionalism among the soldiery and remaining true to the chain of command;

In appreciation of their integrity, devotion to duty and commitment to professional competence and moral excellence, qualities deserving of the respect and admiration of the Filipino people.

I give this citation to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

And to all of you, brothers and sisters in the National Defense College, to the National Defense College which produced many of the heroes of July 27, many of the heroes of many other moments in Philippine history, Happy Ruby Anniversary and thank you.

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