General Ligot and his general limot.

I suffered (or had) asthma attacks (hinika ng bonggang-bongga). I was not able to report to school for two working days. I tried to relax lest a slight "provocation" could start a coughing attack. Anyway, I spent the hours watching the news.

I tuned in to NBN 4(the government station), and I was captivated by the senate hearing. There were the generals lined up at the tables in their barongs looking very proper but also very vulnerable. There was Generals Ligot, Garcia, Cimatu, Villanueva and the other lesser known generals. It was already the latter part of the hearing and every time a question was asked to General Ligot, his answer was always, "my right against self incrimination", or "I forgot your honor" even though the signatures of his wife was staring him right in front of his two bespectacled eyes. (You know, the general has that benevolent look. The whitened eyebrows gave him an aura of wisdom, honesty, and kindness. He looked like a priest!) His selective amnesia won him the monicker " General Limot" nearer was "General Lubot" because he was making the senators look like lubots (sorry mga Autobots).

I didn't know what the senators want to accomplish. It was obvious that the general would not be shamed into telling the truth since any truth could lead to his incrimination. And wasn't it obvious that this general would not talk because. He knew in his mind that after all those years of plundering, his sins would catch up on him and his family. He has mentally prepared for this moment. He has done all he can to cover his tracks, and I think he has contingency plans for such times as these. (My gulay, he was a general and generals prepare for their battles.) If anything else fail, his stone walling may prove to be his best defense. In fact, I think any siege against his person would not move him. He has dug in, and if he is tough enough, his chitinous skin would deflect all the attack till the senators drop down.

The senators would not be able to touch him because they do not have the prerogative to prosecute nad pronounce judgnment. They only create laws, and with the speed of the wheel of justice in the Philippines, he would (or they would, or we all could be) be long dead before any conviction could come down. He and his family and their dummies had already enjoyed the fruits of their plunder.

Ligot will not do an Angelo Reyes. This general is cool, calculating, signs of a very smooth criminal. He might even outlive and outlast some senators.

The senate hearing was good entertainment. Although I could see that there were some senators who were really doing their job to dig into the problem, but what could they do. All they could do was to hold all these hearings in the name of legislation. Would another legislation solve the problem of corruption in the AFP?

Will medicine labels cure the disease? Gulay no...take the medicine...by force if necessary!

I was entertained by General Cimatu. I saw him on TV presenting his medals to the cameras and proudly telling the journalists that these were the pabaons that he received from the AFP. He was almost into tears, bravery, valor, honor etc. I gave the good general the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was different. But during the hearing, Sen. Drillon presented copies of land deeds in the name of Cimatu's wife and the other a joint ownership under Cimatu and his wife's name. When confronted, I saw how his pretense crumbled. He could barely speak, he could barely explain. He was stuttering. His memory was also failing him. The properties were prime properties, and his salary could not afford such purchase. I saw him fidget like a pupil caught by the teacher stealing the teacher's cellphone. Of course, once the right to a counsel was invoked, it was safe to conclude that there was something wrong. Maybe its time he start thinking about eating his medals. (Harsh words but, hey, that's how I feel.)

Anyway...we all have interest on the issue. I do hope the general will be convicted by the courts based on the evidences, and that they will suffer the full force of the law for their alleged plundering.

I pity our front line soldiers.