The Philippine Army in its banner claims that every soldier counts. Do they really count?
In the history of the military service, which I believe was patterned after the American system (although made to fit our needs and culture), men have been trained to respect the rule of law and the code of conduct – from grooming, uniform/dress code, behavior, rules of the house, rank and order, chain of command, esprit de corps (military morale), etc. The basic salute is a sign of utter respect toward the country, the leader and a person of great honor or higher rank.
If the military or the armed forces for that matter (including the PNP) have trained their young soldiers to be morally upright and obey the chain of command, then shouldn’t they protect their system to the highest honor and not stain it?
Gone are the days of military coups. Junior officers and their senior gurus who are disgruntled with the way things are happening in the Army are planning hi-tech ways of eliminating the dirty traditional generals who are playing vicious games.
Our young soldiers who believe in honor and justice; in the dignity of man; in the inherent rights of an individual; in liberty and democracy; and have unwavering loyalty to all those sacred ideals have now come to grips with reality. When P-Noy said, “Gone are the days of politicizing the military”, they thought that this declaration will set the tone for a military organization free from political intervention. But alas! They were wrong.
We are now faced with the realization that those who once believed in giving his life for country wants to see that he gets a chance to enter the ranks and be placed in positions he deserves through hard work and discipline and not through the “barkada” system. Can you imagine how frustrating it is for a military man who is removed from a position simply because he does not have the “right connection”?
I was recently given a list of officers who will be or have already been replaced last week. Secretary of National Defense Voltaire Gazmin (former PSG Commander of Cory) appears to be micromanaging the Army. I hope I am wrong. Well, if he wants to reorganize the military then he needs to put a clear standard of how officers are chosen to the positions (based on qualifications and criteria), so that the soldiers will understand instead of think ill of his intentions. But why are they unhappy with how he is handling the situation?
There seems to be a lot of speculation going around that the people Gazmin has been placing in the various staff positions are those close to him. I think he better clear this out – not good for an officer with a distinguished position in government.
The question of many junior officers in the Army is: Why is the present administration allowing Gazmin to break the chain of command? Is P-Noy really encouraging his men to overule or break the standards set in such offices? Will he allow his men to bring down the morale of the military by direspecting the rank system.
In every institution, only those who fail to perform are demoted. In the present case of the Army, it seems that those in vital positions and who are performing well are the ones being transferred. If an existing staff is doing well in his position and someone else wants to put another person in that position, then, they must wait until the next level is open. But what is happening is that they are being kicked out for no apparent reason – or is there?
For instance, Col. Edmundo R. Pangilinan was recently replaced by Col. Donato B. San Juan as G1 ( Deputy for Admin /Personnel). Why will they remove Pangilinan from the position when he is efficient, experienced and had no bad record? Is he being re-positioned to accommodate San Juan?
These junior officers even say that from the time of Esperon, Ibrado and Bangit, the Commanding Generals of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force had the discretion to choose their own staff. But this time, it seems that the Secretary of National Defense is the one positioning them.
I wonder how these Commanding Generals feel? Of course they will always be an officer and a gentleman. But what lies truly in their hearts – will never be known to us.
Last week, a group of junior officers wrote a list of indicators that express their present sentiments toward the present system under P-Noy. They wrote: “From the systems oriented era of having civilians at the helm of the Defense Department, we now have a retired military officer whose concept of defense is as antiquated as he is; whose expertise may be effective at the tactical-operational level, but never at the realm of policy and strategy, and who only looks after the welfare of the men who once served under him; from a merit based promotions system, we now have a host of senior officers grabbing positions like these are spoils of war. And while there is a career path for officers to follow, some have rushed to assume positions without regard of this professional path, at the expense of those more deserving and qualified. These officers we have marked and will keep track of even after their retirement; the Board of Generals (BOG) that is supposed to screen and recommend Generals and Flag Rank Officers for major positions has now been relegated to the “bored generals”. Meetings don’t happen anymore, but resolutions get issued detailing movement of officers to higher positions, officers who once served under the Secretary of National Defense and lastly, the same can be said at the major services level. The Board of Senior Officers (BOSO) is supposed to screen and recommend to the BOG officers for senior positions within a particular Branch of Service. This is not the case anymore. The Secretary of National Defense with all his micro and tactical wisdom interferes to promote those who do not deserve to be promoted, thus underlying the function of the BOSO”.
These officers stayed true to the Constitution during their Junior and Middle-grade days, hoping that by doing so, they can live to see a professionalized AFP. But sad to say, at the last and final chapters of their careers, they may never realize their dreams.
We hear sad stories of soldiers fighting in the battlefield, sacrificing personal dignity and dedicating their lives to a country who continues to ignore their plight. They are sent into combat without the right gear and no night-flying helicopters available to pluck them out of the field of combat, when they are bleeding to death in the darkness from the wounds contracted on the battlefield. Does every soldier’s life really count?
P-Noy, will you shatter the dreams of these men in uniform? How can you make public service attractive if people see no future in it? Trust and performance are connected. If government agencies do not perform to high standards, they cannot attract the best people.
You need to set the stage for new governance – that divine light must cast off on all human relations (politicking), setting off in all their beauty and strength the fundamental principles of right and duty, of justice and virtue, chastening and invigorating patriotism in each of your public servants. You should instill in us unity, and consequent strength, national consciousness and a common national destiny.
The soldiers of our country yearn for true leadership. Soldiers are the same everywhere. They will fight and die for their country – until and unless the country lets them down.