TRUTH ABOUT THIS STATEMENT

On the 22nd anniversary of People Power One and on the second anniversary of their incarceration for allegedly planning to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo, the 28 officers led by Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, issued the following statement:

We are soldiers. We are also citizens. We, together with our families, are so much a part of the community more than our beloved organization. We are not faceless automatons incapable of thinking, feeling and discernment. We feel the pain of our neighbors as much as their anger. We see their oppression and sense their hopelessness. Of course, their happiness is ours too. But they are not!

We, too, can distinguish good from evil, a truth from a lie, an honest one from a cheat and a thief. But it would be our most grievous sin if we tolerate and do nothing about it.

In the 2004 elections, a misguided and partisan few from among our ranks went out of our barracks not with a noble intent….but to commit a crime against the people. The rest of us stayed behind and watched as it happened. These criminals in uniform strayed away from barracks not to protect the people, but rather to subvert the will of the people. They are still out of barracks trying to cover up for the crimes they committed while suppressing the truth. Sadly, more are being lured out of barracks to partake of the loot.

EDSA 1 and today are no more different. In fact, today is worse than the conditions that prevailed before. There are more compelling reasons for the soldiers to go outside of its barracks. The mess that was created in 2004 either by direct participation and/or by silent complicity needs to be cleaned. It would be the height of insensitivity and callousness to let alone the people do the cleaning when we, ourselves, were so much a part of it. Going out of barracks to join the people in communal action to rid the ills that befell our nation is a Constitutional duty. In fact, it is demanded of us, as soldiers, by the very people whom we failed. Let us not, this time, fail them. Let our voices be heard from the barracks. Let our sense of community be felt from the barracks. And let our actions be seen in and out of the barracks.

After everything has been said and done…. We appeal to the Filipino people to bring us back to barracks and keep us there. Keep us forever in barracks by electing responsible public officials and holding them accountable, by being ever vigilant and by strengthening your sense of community. We, your soldiers, will then march back to barracks to settle to the task of keeping your worthy trust and respect. Let that be our covenant.

Keep the spirit burning and MABUHAY KAYONG LAHAT!

Opinion

In matters of keeping and obeying rules, perhaps some Philippine marines, air force and military members are confused right now if they are still protecting the nation or only the present administration. Perhaps some of them fulfill their duties against their will. And maybe some redefine their job responsibilities from being apolitical to political. Pacification of their actions is the only defense mechanism they have to counter attack the anxieties they are feeling right now. Who else would protect the first family is it not these people?. Their withdrawal is very crucial to the downfall of the present administration. When they (pnp, marines, air force) had their unity walk yesterday which they claimed as spontaneous of which i doubt was not I could see a phony reflection which speaks how weak these people are. That was a pretense that they are united, that they are strong enough to protect the government. But I dare say most of them who join that walk were just pressured to take side of the administration no matter what, no matter how ugly and scandalous the government is. And the question is how long will they take all of these?