Angue faces Navy investigating panel

Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue, in hot water for criticizing the military’s promotion system and for accusing some senior military officers of politicking, on Wednesday faced a four-man Navy committee investigating him. Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said Angue promised the committee, which is under Navy vice commander Rear Admiral Roberto Estioko, to file his counter-affidavit within 10 days. "He presented himself earlier pursuant to the summons sent to him last week," said Arevalo of Angue, former commander of the Armed Forces’ National Capital Region Command (NCRCom) who was reassigned to the Naval Forces Western Mindanao Command. The NCRCom post is for a three-star rank, making Angue eligible for promotion to vice admiral. On the other hand, the Naval Forces Western Mindanao Command is a two-star post. Angue, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1978, is being investigated for violation of the Armed Forces’ Code of Ethics, and violation of Article of War 65 (insubordination) and Article of War 97 (conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline). His class includes former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as an honorary member. Angue was slapped with a gag order early this month after he accused several officers of supporting politicians during the May 10 elections and being rewarded juicy positions for that. Angue also questioned the promotions of Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) chief Maj. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan and Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) chief Brig. Gen. Romulo Bambao, saying the two are close to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. Pangilinan and Bambao are members of PMA class of 1979. Grilled? Arevalo could not say if the embattled Navy officer was grilled during Wednesday’s investigation. “"I’m not sure about that, but what is sure is he was summoned so that number one, he will be notified that there is an investigation that is going on against him… to notify him formally. That’s part of the due process requirement," he said. "He was given the opportunity to air his side but by way of an answer, he requested for a 10-day period within which to file his counter affidavit," Arevalo added. Although there is no time frame for the investigation, it will be resolved in the soonest possible time, Arevalo said. "We are not setting a time frame as the FOIC (flag officer in command) said in the past. But what we are going to do is we are going to expedite the procedure. But by expediting, we mean we are going to have a fair and impartial investigation on this case and we would not want to sacrifice objectivity, impartiality and fairness by expediency," he said. Other members of the investigating panel are Navy Judge Advocate Col. Al Perreras and his deputy Lt. Col. Jose Feliciano Loy and Navy Provost Marshal Col. Antonieto Ga. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV