Gen. Oban will fail to reform AFP


BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO
 
LIFE INSPIRATIONS: “…If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…” (John 15:5, the Holy Bible).

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WHY DID NINOY USE LABAN, AND NOT LP, TO FIGHT MARCOS? Karen Davila’s ANC interview with former Tarlac Rep. Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., as published in the ABS-CBN website, actually raised more questions about the real opposition to the Marcos rule in the late 1970s.

Why was it necessary for the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. to ask Peping to organize a new political party, Laban (or the Lakas ng Bayan), to oppose the Marcos candidates in the 1978 elections for the then Interim Batasang Pambansa?

At that time, Ninoy was the most famous member of the Liberal Party and so it would have been logical that the Liberal Party should have been the party used by Ninoy to fight Marcos. But why did Ninoy not use the Liberal Party? 

The answer is simple, Peping is saying: the Liberals refused to fight Marcos. Anyone interested to know the details of this act of the Liberal Party can read Peping’s book, “Laban His Story”.

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PNOY AND OMBUDSMAN IMPEACHMENT: Was it necessary for President Aquino himself to have given the go-signal to congressmen belonging to the Liberal Party to vote for the impeachment of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez?

Yes, he is the chairman of the party, but over and above that, he is the president of the Republic of the Philippines, and on his shoulders rests the sole responsibility of healing and uniting the nation to move the country and its people forward.

Giving the go-signal to impeach the Ombudsman, even if he really wanted that very badly, gave the impression that the President has not risen from partisan politics. Come to think of it, would it not have been better if somebody else from the Liberal party did it? 

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OBAN WILL FAIL TO REFORM AFP: I hate to say this but Lt. Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr., the new AFP Chief of Staff, will also fail in stopping corruption in the military. 

Not that he is not competent and not that he only has nine months, but solely because in his optimism on his competence, he has succumbed to the same pitfalls of failure that haunted his predecessors---God is not even invoked in their leadership, and so, without God, as the Biblical verse quoted above says, Oban is absolutely nothing and is also bound to fail.


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Gen. Oban, mabibigo sa reporma sa AFP


INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “…Kung mananatili kayo sa Akin at Ako sa inyo, mamumunga kayo ng masagana; kung hiwalay kayo sa Akin, wala kayong magagawa…” (Juan 15:5, Bibliya).

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BAKIT LABAN, AT DI LP, ANG GINAMIT NI NINOY LABAN KAY MARCOS? Naglabas ng mas maraming tanong ang naging panayam ni Karen Davila ng ANC kay dating Tarlac Rep. Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. na nalathala sa ABS CBN website, ukol sa mga tunay na lumaban sa Pangulong Marcos noong 1970s.

Bakit kinailangang utusan ni dating Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. si Peping na magtayo ng bagong partido, ang Laban (o Lakas ng BAyan), upang labanan ang mga kandidato ni Marcos para sa Interim Batasang Pambansa noong 1978?

Noong mga panahong iyon, si Ninoy ang pinaka-tampok na kasapi ng Liberal Party kaya’t dapat lamang na ang Liberal Party ang dapat ginamit niya sa paglaban kay Marcos. Pero, bakit hindi ginamit ni Ninoy ang Liberal Party?

Simple lang ang sagot, ayon kay Peping mismo: ayaw ng mga Liberal na lumaban kay Marcos. Ang sinumang interesadong malaman ang kuwentong ito ay dapat magbasa ng libro ni Peping, “Laban His Story”.

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PNOY AT OMBUDSMAN IMPEACHMENT: Tama bang ang Pangulong Aquino mismo ang nagbigay ng pagpayag sa mga kongresistang kasapi ng Liberal Party upang ituloy ang impeachment ni Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez?

Oo, siya ang chairman ng partido, pero, higit pa roon, siya ang pangulo ng Republika ng Pilipinas, at nasa kanyang mga balikat ang tanging responsibilidad upang paghilumin ang mga sugat ng bansa at papag-isahin ang sambayanan upang maisulong na ang bansa at bayan.

Ang pagpayag niya upang patalsikin ang Ombudsman, bagamat gustong-gusto nga niya ito, ay nagbigay ng impresyon na ang Pangulo ay hindi pa nakakaalis sa pagkakampi-kampi sa politika. Kung iisipin, hindi ba mas maganda kung ibang opisyal na lamang ng Liberal Party ang gumawa nito?

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OBAN WILL FAIL TO REFORM AFP: Ayokong sabihin ito, pero tunay ngang mabibigo din sa paglaban sa korapsiyon sa militar si Lt. Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr., ang bagong AFP Chief of Staff.

Hindi dahil sa wala siyang galing, o siyam na buwan lamang siya sa tungkulin, kundi dahil sa binalot na din siya ng sumpa ng kabiguan na bumalot din sa mga nauna na sa puwesto niya sa ngayon---at itong sumpa ng kabiguang ito ay dulot ng kawalan ng pagkilala niya sa papel ng Diyos sa kanyang pamamahala, gaya ng sinasabi ng Bibliya sa taas nito.