Philippine Ex-General Kills Self Amid Graft Probe
The Philippine national flag is displayed at half-mast Tuesday following the death of Gen. Angelo Reyes at the Armed Forces of the Philippines General Headquarters north of Manila. Reyes, accused of embezzling at least $1 million from the armed forces, died of a single gunshot wound in what witnesses described as an apparent suicide in front of his mother's grave. Aaron Favila/AP hide caption
A former Philippines military chief accused of massive corruption in recent Senate hearings died Tuesday, having apparently shot himself. The military corruption scandal has been a challenge for President Benigno Aquino III, who took office last year pledging to root out widespread graft, and has Filipinos thinking about their legacy of "People Power" revolutions.
In 2007, an armored fighting vehicle and commandos smashed their way into the lobby of Manila's posh Peninsula Hotel, chasing after Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim. He was jailed for leading an attempted coup d'etat against then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Now retired, Lim says he still gets funny looks from security guards when he enters the hotel. But lately he has been feeling vindicated.
Former army budget officer George Rabusa last month told Senate investigators that army chiefs of staff, including Gen. Angelo Reyes, had controlled large slush funds and received multimillion-dollar retirement gifts. On Tuesday, Reyes shot himself in an apparent suicide.
Lim says that last July, he counseled Rabusa to blow the whistle.
"I advised him that if he was going to talk about the corruption, this is the time to do it. We have a new president whose program is anti-corruption, a new political atmosphere," he said.
In this March 1, 2003, photo, then-Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes is interviewed at the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles after meetings in Washington with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Reyes died in an apparent suicide Tuesday. Rene Macura/AP hide caption
Some poorly equipped Filipino soldiers might be outraged to hear of graft among their commanders, but Lim says the Senate investigation has actually encouraged most of the troops.
"I see that our men in uniform are happy," he says. "Morale is high, because this time we are openly talking about corruption in the military. It's a confirmation of what everybody has been talking about."
Next month, Filipinos will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled U.S.-backed dictator Ferdinand Marcos and replaced him with Corazon Aquino, the mother of the current president, Benigno Aquino III.
The past 25 years have seen coup attempts, corruption scandals and other signs that the revolution had limited effect on the country. But pollster Mahar Mangahas says that since President Aquino's election last May, 69 percent of Filipinos surveyed are satisfied with their country's democratic process.
"I feel like I've been waiting for this for 12 years," Mangahas says. "This is something that should come about every six years. But six years ago, we didn't have it. You know, it was as though ... we went through a presidential election and we did not feel renewed."
After more than half a year in office, Aquino still enjoys 80 percent approval ratings. Mangahas says it helps that Arroyo, who is widely believed to have rigged her re-election in 2004, was the Philippines' most unpopular president ever.
President Benigno Aquino III speaks during a peace rally Tuesday in suburban Quezon City north of Manila, Philippines. Aquino, who promised to root out widespread corruption when he was elected last year, has an approval rating of 80 percent. Pat Roque/AP hide caption
President Benigno Aquino III speaks during a peace rally Tuesday in suburban Quezon City north of Manila, Philippines. Aquino, who promised to root out widespread corruption when he was elected last year, has an approval rating of 80 percent.
Pat Roque/APAquino pledged after his election last year to create a so-called Truth Commission to look into graft charges against his predecessor. But the Supreme Court struck it down as unconstitutional.
Ateneo de Manila University law professor Carlos Medina says that was a heavy blow to the new president.
"It was like a flagship program of the president, at the top of his anti-corruption programs, because it was executive order No. 1. And he was really stung by the decision of the Supreme Court," Medina says.
Critics point out that 14 out of 15 Supreme Court judges are Arroyo appointees.
Aquino has also benefited from a robust economy, which grew at 7.3 percent last year, the fastest pace since 1986. But University of the Philippines public administration expert professor Leonor Briones warns that an angry and hungry underclass could rise up and wipe out much of the Philippines' impressive economic gains. She refers to the president by two of his nicknames.
"There's a great deal of sentimental affection for PNoy, because of the mother," Briones says. "And he came in on a program of reform and anti-corruption. At this time, they don't associate their hunger, their joblessness with Noynoy."
Briones notes that civilian and military leaders have seldom been held accountable for past corruption scandals. But she hopes it will be different this time.