News Worthy

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This week the news was full of stories about the ongoing Congressional inquiry on the plea bargain that the Ombudsman was considering (or had already approved, depending on who you’re listening to) for suspected plunderer General Garcia, and the subsequent testimony of Col. Rabusa exposing the extent of corruption in the military. Within days of the expose that was aired on national TV (and heard over the radio), former AFP Chief of Staff General Angelo Reyes took his own life. Reyes allegedly received no less than 50 million pesos as a going-away gift when he retired from the service. Two other former chiefs of staff were implicated in the anomalies. The amount itself isn’t the question, but the means as to how such amounts were accumulated and allocated by a government military institution. The same institution that claims to not have enough funds to fully equip its soldiers who are in the front lines in the war against terrorism.

But the news that saddened me more in the past week was the death of someone far less popular than the fallen general. In his life, he was an inspiration for his parents and to many strangers who have learned of his story.  I think his untimely passing deserved a lot more airtime and media mileage than what was so freely given to someone else. Jon Angelo, the baby whose childhood was snatched away by an illness that kept him tethered to a breathing machine, has passed away.

I have mentioned Jon Angelo, and the Breathe Hope bracelets that his parents lovingly make and sell to raise funds to support his medical costs, several times in this blog, on my FB wall and even in personal conversations. When he passed on, I was completely surprised. His funeral was help very near my home yet I could not bring myself to pay him a visit. I did not see him while he was alive, and I didn’t see him as he was laid to rest. Yet in my heart, I held him there. I will forever cherish my Breathe Hope bracelets, Jon.

Going back to the investigation into corruption practices in the military, that’s what news organizations should focus on – not Reyes or his family in particular. It’s about time they cleanup the military and other government offices, not just of those practicing and promoting the culture of graft and corruption, but take away the processes that make us prone to it. Like putting a cap on the retirement benefits that officials get and ensuring that ALL soldiers get them. Why they didn’t shop online for retirement gifts red envelope is a good place to start. Haha 🙂