Former AFP Chief Angelo Reyes

Former AFP chief Angelo Reyes: "[His] stars were brightest under former
President Joseph Estrada."

Screen grab from gmanews.tv
Former military chief Angelo Reyes, who died

Tuesday, February 8, from a self-inflicted gunshot
wound, has been an influential figure in politics but
his "stars were brightest under former President
Joseph Estrada," according to Newsbreakexecutive
director Glenda Gloria.

President Estrada was a successful movie actor
before he ran and won as mayor of San Juan.
Later, he became a senator, then vice president,
and finally won the presidency in 1998, serving
until 2001 when he was ousted during the EDSA
Revolution or EDSA Dos.

In Gloria's article, "The Troubled Times of Angie
Reyes", she wrote that during the Estrada's term,
"from 1998-to 2001, Reyes served as commanding
general of the Southern Command, then the
Philippine Army (for only 3 months in 1999), and
eventually as chief of staff.

"Like Estrada, Reyes lived in San Juan; their mothers reportedly knew each other from way back.
Reyes enjoyed Estrada's confidence so much that when one of the general's sons got married, he
asked the former President to stand as godfather.

"This is why it took a while for him to be persuaded to join the anti-Estrada movement that by end-
2000 had already snowballed," Gloria wrote in the article.

"During Estrada's impeachment trial in 2000, at least three factions in the Armed Forces debated the
options on how best to deal with their commander-in- chief: Should they oust him by force, or should
they simply withdraw support from him?

"In the end, Reyes, who espoused the most passive, least confrontational approach, prevailed," the
article said.

Gloria cited other stories on Reyes. In "Angie's Coup," Newsbreak's inside story on the military
withdrawal of support from Estrada in January 2001, "we said that hours after Reyes declared the
military's break from Estrada, four generals raised to him a sensitive point: Since the military was
making a crucial move, why couldn't it go a step further and dictate the terms for the transition?
Reyes would hear none of it.

"We reported then that just three days after the jueteng scandal broke out in October 2000, Reyes
received a letter from an Army colonel who noted that many of his fellow officers 'feel outrage deep
within—outrage for having a "lord of all gambling lords" as their commander in chief.'

"The colonel told Reyes: 'You are about to make the most important decision of our life—a decision
that can either lead this nation back to recovery and progress, or plunge it further down the road to
perdition,'" according to Newsbreak's inside story.

Gloria also cited a story in Newsbreak's first issue in January 2001 where the respected political news
website wrote: "It took Reyes three months, after consultations with civilian groups and fellow
officers, to make his decision.

"Up to the last minute, some leaders of the anti-Estrada mass movement had serious doubts about
Reyes. Word spread that there were officers and field commanders who were more prepared to strike.
The bloc of former Tarlac Rep. Jose 'Peping' Cojuangco Jr. and Pastor 'Boy' Saycon openly talked
about the supposed commitment made by 14 brigade commanders to join the Estrada Resign
movement. The target date was November 25. The plot flopped," according to theNewsbreak story.

Gloria noted: "In contrast to his agitated peers, Reyes was a cautious man. For months, he spurned all
appeals for him to abandon Estrada."

According to one source cited in the Newsbreak story, "Former Army chief Fortunato Abat met with
him to ask him to advise Estrada to quit. Well, since Angie [Reyes] is a champion debater and Abat
also loved to talk, they ended up debating."

"Our story added: 'Yet unknown to most, Reyes did agree to an aide's suggestion to try to persuade
the President to quit first week of November [2000]... But Reyes was stopped in his tracks, according
to a source close to the general.

"'In a meeting in Malacañang on Nov. 4, 2000, the day of a massive rally at Edsa, the President told
him straight that he had received reports that he, Reyes, was being invited by the opposition to a
meeting.

"'Reyes denied it, but he probably felt then that the die was cast. For Estrada's spooks got it right:
Reyes was to meet with the Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo the following morning. The
meeting had to be cancelled. Still, Reyes's trusted officers continued to touch base with some anti-
Estrada leaders and the Arroyo camp. And the chief of staff did his homework, projecting a neutral
image while meeting with officers from different PMA batches to get their sense of the situation.'"

Gloria also wrote: "In his conversations with PMAyers during those difficult days, he told them, 'Think
of the repercussions of what we do 50 to 100 years from now. We do not want a tradition of the AFP
going against the leadership.' But when the people massed up at Edsa for the second time, Reyes
moved and spelled the end of Estrada's term."

WIVES' CONNECTION. On Monday, February 7, during the Senate investigation of corruption in the
military, Senator Jinggoy Estrada presented documents showing that Erlinda Ligot, wife of former
military comptroller retired Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot, traveled abroad 42 times from 1993 to 2004.

The investigation revealed that Ligot and his wife Erlinda allegedly owned several properties in the
United States.

Former AFP Chief Angelo Reyes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Former AFP Chief Angelo Reyes

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Former AFP Chief Angelo Reyes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Former AFP chief Angelo Reyes: "[His] stars were brightest under former

President Joseph Estrada."

Former military chief Angelo Reyes, who died

You might also like