Covering military corruption: Investigative and explanatory pieces led the way
An opportunity for the press
As of press time, it seems that Garcia’s case and the issue of military corruption were far from over. But beyond the accusations and counter accusations of the personalities involved, the press can exert efforts in investigating how and why corruption in the military exists, and looking for ways how to mitigate—if not wipe out completely—the culture of corruption that seems endemic in the institution.
One major issue that needs to be reviewed is the AFP Modernization Program, conceptualized to buy and upgrade equipment and technology in the AFP but which has instead become a source of corruption. The controversial practice of “conversion”—where allocated funds are transformed into suspicious cash releases—should also be investigated.
The so-called comptroller family in the AFP, which reportedly controls who gets comptrollership positions, also deserves close scrutiny.
Journalists also need to regularly scrutinize the audit reports on the military budget and expenses by the Commission on Audit or whether the procurement process conforms to the provisions of the Government Procurement Reform Act (Republic Act No. 9184). If a military official is accused of money laundering or using military funds for his/her own use, the press should immediately check if government-mandated bodies such as the Anti-Money Laundering Council or military offices such as the AFP Office of Ethical Standards and Public Accountability are investigating and if they are, should report the developments in, or status of the case.
Not a few newspapers and television news programs pointed out that while ordinary soldiers on the front lines or assigned as United Nation peacekeepers abroad often suffer from low pay, allowance cuts, and poor military hardware, the AFP’s senior officials have been suspected of using the institution’s funds for their personal use. For example, 24 Oras aired a special report on Feb. 1 on the sacrifices of front-line soldiers in Infanta, Quezon and what they felt about the ongoing controversy. A similar report was aired on TV5’s Aksyon last Feb. 3, focusing on the poor facilities given to Filipino peacekeeping forces in Haiti. But aside from few reports showing the conditions of the ordinary soldiers, the press should have a comprehensive review of the state of our soldiers nationwide and those assigned as peacekeepers overseas.
This should also be the opportune time to review the findings and recommendations of the Feliciano Commission, which investigated the reasons behind the mutiny of the so-called “Magdalo” soldiers in Oakwood in July 2003. In its report, the commission stated that among the reasons behind the munity were the grievances about graft and corruption in the military such as the AFP’s pension fund, the AFP Modernization Fund, and   the problematic procurement system.
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