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Declaration
Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim
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Civilian-Military Alliance for Reforms in Society
Brig. Gen. Jose Comendador
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Points of Convergence
Brig. Gen. Jose Comendador
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Why I Am Resigning
Col. Orlando De Leon
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Apat Na Prinsipyo
Capt. Nicanor Faeldon
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The Military Is A
Bogeyman
Capt. Nicanor Faeldon
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Leading The
Righteous Way
The Cavaliers, the PMA Alumni Association
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Opening Statement
Brig. Gen.
Francisco Gudani
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To Our Countrymen
Young Officers Union of the New Generation (YOUNG)
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The New Order
Restoring Democracy in the Philippines
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The Last Word
Rene Jarque . USMA
West Point Class 1986
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Why I Left The Military
Rene Jarque . USMA
West Point Class 1986
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Message To The
Filipino People
Armed Forces of
the Philippines
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New Filipino
Heroes
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National Recovery
Program
Sen. & Lt. Col. Gregorio Honasan
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Corruption in the
Philippine Navy Procurement System
Ltjg. Antonio F.
Trillanes IV
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A Study of Corruption
in the Philippine Navy
Ltjg. Antonio F.
Trillanes IV
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The
Last Word
DEAR fellow West Pointers,
The Armed Forces of the Philippines once again is at a crossroad following
the cases of [Major] General (Carlos) Garcia and Colonel (George) Rabusa.
How this will play out will determine the seriousness, direction and tempo
of eradicating corruption in the military and promoting professionalism in
the ranks. We have known the rottenness of the system all along and how the
culture in the AFP was not and is not conducive to professional growth and
honest conduct. It was never reflective of the Academy's motto, "Duty,
Honor, Country."
Some of us gave it a chance, found it unwieldy and incorrigible and left.
Some stuck with the system and played it out only to be sucked into the
vortex of corruption and unprofessional conduct. At one time when I was at
the Department of National Defense, I told General (Narciso) Abaya, "Sir, I
am sure that I can fulfill the Duty and Country part of the motto but
certainly the Honor part is very difficult to do." I was trying my best to
be as professional and as patriotic as I could be, but I could never be
honest given the extent of the graft and corruption in the AFP. And that
was, I believe, unacceptable to my sense of honor and integrity. Hence, I
left.
I have been called many names, reviled and hated by many officers for my
intransigent stand against corruption in the Armed Forces ever since I was a
lieutenant. I was branded a rebel and an unprofessional officer. I was
called a liar in public by a former Chief of Staff. Some of you may have
also hated my guts for being so stubborn and for being part of the
opposition. I was not and am not being stubborn for the sake of
stubbornness. I am stubborn because I believe in the righteousness of the
cause. It was and it is the right advocacy, and an honest one. The lives of
thousands of soldiers and their families depend on this cause. The future of
our country depends on whether this advocacy will win in the end. While many
of us turned our eyes away and covered our ears, I believed that someone had
to play the "bad guy" to make sure that the message was not lost.
I have a favorite story which we printed in the Army Journal when I was its
editor:
A wise old philosopher went to the village to preach the good news. He
proclaimed his news loudly but no one would listen. Time passed and he
continued to preach even louder but still no one listened. One day, a child
asked, "Mister, why are you preaching even louder, don't you see it's
pointless? No one is listening." The philosopher replied, "My child, at
first I thought I could change them and so preached loudly. But now I am
preaching even more loudly so they don't change me."
Yes, we have all been part of the system and by our action or inaction, we
have all been party to unprofessional conduct and corruption in the AFP. One
way or another, we have taken advantage of the system. You all know your
indiscretions as I know mine. There was no choice then, there was no other
way if one wanted to survive and pursue a "progressive military career." But
if a progressive military career means a regressive character and dishonor,
well, many of us found that unacceptable and the only option was to leave
the service.
I love being a soldier, being with the men and fighting for our country. But
it cannot be at the sacrifice of honor. What is the meaning of fighting for
your country when the chain of command consists of thieves and looters,
insensitive to the welfare of the soldiers and their poor families? What is
the meaning of dying for your country when you know that the government and
the politicians are apathetic toward the people and the so-called rebels or
terrorists we are killing and even torturing are just protecting their lives
and their dignity, when they are just trying to survive? What good is
fighting for the country when the rebels are right that this country is
governed by a callous elite, an abusive military and a corrupt government?
To me, there never was, there never is, and there never will be honor in
killing desperate men--men who have found no other way out of their poverty
and suffering but to join the rebels because the leaders they have chosen to
lead them and the soldiers who are supposed to fight for them, are not doing
their duty. For after all, aren't the soldiers the protectors and defenders
of the people?
I appeal to your sense of Duty, Honor, Country in saying that we must do
something as a West Point Society, as an association of honorable men. The
least we can do is make a public denouncement of the corruption in the Armed
Forces and appeal for the reform that has long been needed in the AFP. We
should tell General Narciso Abaya, West Point '71, that the right thing to
do is the honorable thing. Covering up, spinning stories and whitewashing
are not honorable. This entails a great risk especially in our friendships
and camaraderie, but we must be comrades blinded by Duty, Honor, Country.
Somehow, we have to take a stand and make a choice or live a lie within
ourselves as long as we live.
Duty, Honor, Country, my fellow West Pointers.
Capt.
Rene Jarque
Class of 1986
2004
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Why I Left the Military
Many people ask me why I
left the military service for the civilian world. Quite often, I reply "Why
not?" in a dismissive tone to avoid a long and impassioned explanation.
After three years out of uniform, I think I now have a better perspective to
be able to answer the question with more certainty and fervidness.
What drove me to end what some say was a promising military
career?
Let me emphasize that the decision to resign was mine alone and
says nothing of the profession of arms, which I will always hold in the
highest esteem, or about the men and women still in the service. Being a
soldier is, I believe, one of the noblest professions, and I am privileged
to have been one. However, we all have our lives to live, and mine just
turned to a different path.
Many think my resignation was due to pressure from senior
officers. Rightly so, as my career was certainly not a dull one. I had my
share of combat as a Scout Ranger; had been under arrest for involvement in
a coup attempt; represented the government in international conferences; was
a studious lecturer and editor of several publications. And I was the son of
a general turned communist rebel.
As a young officer, I used the power of the pen to question things
that were not right in the Armed Forces of the Philippines--incompetence,
corruption, lack of strategic direction, and unprofessionalism. My writings
were a voice in the wilderness, but the criticisms earned me a reputation as
a rebel officer--too honest and too frank for my own good. I really thought
reforms could be achieved through intellectual honesty and awareness.
Nonetheless, I was not
coerced to resign because of my critical commentaries. Neither did the
situation of my father, General Raymundo Jarque, drive me into it. It was
not an impulsive decision but a slow process of maturation and discernment.
I realized that the prevailing environment in the AFP was no longer
acceptable to my sense of duty and honor, that there was more to life than
being a soldier in serving the country and people. To fulfill that, I needed
to live outside of the uniform.
My last assignment was as special assistant to the secretary of
national defense, to whom I gave my resignation letter. The following
excerpts show the mix of hope and frustration over why I left:
Sir: I have decided to leave the military service. After 16 years
as a soldier, I feel that it is time to change course and seek greater
challenges and opportunitiesto seek greener pastures.
I feel that the military is already too constrictingand no longer
offers the kind of professional growth that I envision. Becoming a general
is no longer an exciting prospect for me considering the kind of officers
being promoted to general rank. As many officers say, 'snappy, shabby, the
same salary at napo-promote din naman'
I have always believed that being an officer is a noble vocation,
but what I have seen are officers who take advantage of the system for
selfish and unethical purposes and undercut each other for promotion and
assignments. I always thought that being an officer is a public trust--that
an officer does not lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do. But what I
have seen are officers who would not hesitate to lie to advance themselves
and cheat the taxpayers of their money.
I believe in performance and accountability. I believe in
competence and moral courage. I believe in honesty and hard work. I believe
in transparency and candor. I have found these rare in the Armed Forces and
I would like to seek them somewhere else."
Looking back, despite all the hardships and frustrations, I believe it was
all worth it. I learned a great deal as a soldier. From the negatives,
ironically I learned the positives. From the dishonesty of some officers, I
came to appreciate the virtue of honesty. From the corruption I saw, I
learned about principles and moral courage; from the hardships in training,
about teamwork and strength of purpose; from defeat in battle, humility;
from suffering and death, about compassion and mortality.
From the positives, I learned to grow. From honest and motivated
soldiers, I learned about leadership; from my fellow officers, about
camaraderie and friendship; from the little things I had, about simplicity
and frugality. Above all, from being a cadet and a soldier, I learned about
duty, honor, and country.
The greatest gift military service gave me was character. Two
other important lessons were leadership and the spirit of service. Now that
I am a civilian, I value these lessons and they serve as beacons in my new
career. They guide me in finding my path down the future. What I miss is the
spirit of service, that feeling that whatever you do is something noble and
for the greater good.
Today, I sometimes miss wearing the uniform. I miss the soldierly
camaraderie, that fellowship which made me feel I belonged to something. I
turn to my experiences as a platoon leader and company commander in dealing
with corporate leadership and management issues. At times, I long for the
simple yet noble life of a soldier.
As the saying goes, "Once a soldier, always a soldier."
Capt.
Rene Jarque
Class of 1986
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