Critics now welcome at Angelo Reyes' wake

Even the critics of the late Defense secretary Angelo Reyes can now pay their last respects to him, one of his sons said Thursday. “I would like to announce that the consensus of the family is that the wake of my father will now be open to everybody," said Marc Reyes, the late general’s third son, at a press briefing at the Arlington Memorial Chapel in Quezon City where the wake is being held. Critics were initially barred from paying their last respects to Reyes, who committed suicide Tuesday morning days after he was accused of benefiting from alleged corruption in the military. “I hope you understand that the family was at that time grieving and we were in a state of shock," Marc said in explaining their initial decision to allow only friends and supporters in the late Defense secretary’s wake. He noted that his father had always said that “it is better to unite than to divide."

Full military honors Reyes’ remains will be brought to Camp Aguinaldo on Friday morning where he will be accorded full honors. “It is a military tradition to provide funeral honors to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as a ceremonial paying of respect and final demonstration of the country’s gratitude to the unselfish service rendered by these individuals to the nation," said Armed Forces public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos. Reyes served as Armed Forces chief of staff from 2000 to 2001. Reyes’ remains are expected at the Saint Ignatius Cathedral inside Camp Aguinaldo around 10:45 a.m. and will be welcomed by a battalion-size guards that will provide him arrival honors. At around 5 p.m., a eulogy will be initiated by a group of Filipino graduates from Harvard University, where Reyes took up his master’s degree on public administration. At around the same time on Saturday, Reyes’ remains will be transferred to the AFP Canopy in front of the General Headquarters for the necrological services. Burgos said this is “to allow more space to military personnel, friends and family members who are expected to pay their last respect for Gen. Reyes." Burial On Sunday, at around 8 a.m., a final Mass will be held at the AFP Canopy, to be immediately followed by the departure honors. Reyes will then be brought to his final resting place at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig. Burgos said the body of Reyes is expected to arrive at the cemetery around 11 a.m. An eight-man pallbearer group, to be headed by a two-star general, will be carrying the casket. “This will be accompanied by one saluting battery of cannons which will offer the traditional 19-gun salute, a military tradition of honoring a former Secretary of National Defense and former Chief of Staff, together with a Brigade-sized Honor Guard comprised of troops from the General Headquarters, the Philippine Army, Air Force, and the Navy for the arrival honors," said Burgos. He said the Philippine Air Force will provide flower petal drops during the procession. He said there will be a 21-gun salute before the actual burial. - KBK, GMA News