Accusations turned into huge controversies… Closest friends became his accusers… Reputation of his family was greatly affected… These are among the biggest issues found by the former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Angelo Tomas Reyes, before he shot himself.
Reyes committed suicide, Tuesday, at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City. In front of his mother’s grave, Reyes used a 45 caliber pistol to shoot himself right through his heart.
It was Health Secretary Enrique Ona who confirmed in a press conference that Reyes was declared dead on arrival upon reaching the Quirino Memorial Medical Center.
Being one of the prominent generals of the country, Angelo Reyes faced successive hearings in the senate.
Where, even his closest friends had pulled him down to shame as he kept on denying the accusations vested upon him. He was accused of pocketing money from the armed forces.
Col. George Rabusa, a retired budget officer of the military, came to exploit the issue that there had been a big amount of expenses that led to payoffs of the under the table transactions.
During Rabusa’s oath, he stated that he was among the officers who handed Reyes the money of more than $1 Million when he stepped down.
Moreover, Rabusa allegedly stated that Reyes was also one of the payoff recipients that for some reasons, that had to convert peso into dollars so the amount won’t appear too huge.
Denying such accusations lead to the rise of emotions when confrontation had happened between Reyes and Rabusa at the Senate hearing in January 27.
Reyes defended himself saying that he was only trying to protect his reputation.
It was during his last appearance in public when he stated that he had served the government for 48 years.
With the words came from him, Antonio Trillanes IV, a former navy officer, immediately responded that he didn’t have any reputation to protect.
Under President Benigno Aquino III, investigations under prosecution of corrupt officials were fully supported to fulfill his promise of campaigning against graft and corruption.
With regards to the accusation allegedly put into Reyes’ head, a higher level of intensity between Reyes and the other two retired Philippine military chiefs had surprisingly awakened everyone especially those under the Southeast Asian Nation to become more sensitive to the scandals of the government corruption that might have been ruling for decades.
Reyes began his military career being a leader in his team in the Philippine Army Special Forces. He gradually achieved higher positions until he received the title as the Philippine Army Commanding General. In 2001 to 2003, he became the National Defense Secretary and later on stood to be the secretary of the department of Energy during the time of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
With his death comes the grief of his closest friend, Rabusa, who later on became his accuser.
As of now, the date of his burial had not been set. There is a strict security that according to his spokesperson Patricia Daza, persons who have been involved in his deep emotional struggles are discouraged to neither visit nor send flowers to his family at these moments.
Along his death is the lost of one of the evidences for investigating the truth behind military fund anomalies.