Guingona wants future Senate hearings to show 'positive' side of AFP

Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Senator Teofisto Guingona III said senators won't stop conducting hearings on the alleged corruption in the military, or at least until they have talked about the "positive" side of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). "We haven't even talked about the positive aspects [of the organization]. Of course, it is not as dramatic as finding out properties hidden in the register of deeds but it’s something we have to tackle and that’s something that people have to know," Guingona told reporters in Filipino late Thursday. He explained that they still haven't talked about what reforms and steps the AFP is taking in order to address the alleged history of corruption in the organization. "Panay negative ang nakikita ng taumbayan. Hindi nila alam na mayroon din magandang hakbang ang ginagawa ng AFP (All that people see are the dark side of the AFP. They do not know what steps the organization is taking to address the issue)," he said. "That’s one thing I look forward to, we should look forward to that," he added. Throughout the course of the hearings, it has been revealed that high-ranking officials of the military – specifically the AFP chiefs of staff – who allegedly receive millions in monthly payoff and millions more as pabaon (send-off money) when they retire. During Thursday's hearing, senators even questioned the brother-in-law of former military comptroller Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot on the suspicion that his unexplained wealth can be traced back to the AFP official. The senators also questioned former AFP chief of staff Roy Cimatu over two prime real estate properties which he supposedly acquired while he was still in the military service. Guingona said that he still has to consult with the other members of the Senate when the next blue ribbon committee hearing will be. — LBG, GMA News