Corruption probes led PNoy to meet defense, AFP officials

The recent congressional hearings on alleged corruption in the military have prompted President Benigno Aquino III to meet with officials of the defense department and the Armed Forces of the Philippines on (AFP) Wednesday morning. “Syempre, may epekto ‘yung congressional hearings [Of course, the congressional hearings have had their effect]. I wanted to share with them [military and defense officials] exactly what certain members of Congress have imparted to me," the President told reporters after the three-hour command conference held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. “You know, when there is a problem there is also an opportunity to show how different the AFP is already," Aquino said, citing the reforms implemented by the military and its accomplishments in disaster responsiveness and anti-insurgency as a result of the reforms. He said the AFP played a major role in rescue operations, emergency repairs of vital installations, evacuation efforts and clearing of roads, which shows that it is “doing its job" with better capabilities “because the reforms have already taken place." Aquino also commended Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Ricardo David, the various service commanders, and “everyone who has joined me in this Daang Matuwid [straight path] to really effect the necessary changes in our society." AFP spokesperson General Jose Mabanta Jr., in a press conference in Malacañang last Friday, said the AFP started implementing the reforms to prevent demoralization among the soldiers. Among the reforms implemented since 2005 were halting the practice of “conversion" or turning already allocated funds into cash for unprogrammed needs. The other changes were:

• organizational – the abolition of J6 (comptrollership office) and its replacement by three separate offices, namely the resource management office, the office of the internal auditor, and the management and fiscal office;
• systems – imposing a no conversion/cash advance system, devolution of funds particularly the provision for command directed activities (PCDA); and
• leadership – by instituting the Daang Matuwid campaign of the Commander-in-Chief.

The AFP, Mabanta said, has also implemented the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) which endorses the AFP’s “whole nation" approach in prioritizing the people and their rights and in winning the peace.—Amita O. Legaspi/JV, GMA News