CAMP TECSON, San Miguel, Bulacan. — Armed
Forces chief Gen. Alexander Yano on Tuesday said he knows that
some officers and men of the First Scout Ranger Regiment are
still sympathetic to the group of former officers involved in
attempts to overthrow the Arroyo government but he believes they
will not replicate what ex-Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo
Lim and his men did.
In February 2006, then Scout Ranger chief Lim
and a number of his men allegedly planned a public withdrawal of
support to President Arroyo in the midst of anti-government
protesters at the Edsa Shrine. Implicated in the same plan was
then Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and several
subordinate officers, including Medal of Valor awardees Col.
Ariel Querubin and Lt. Col. Custodio Parcon.
A total of 28 Army and Marine officers have
been detained since December 2006, charged with mutiny and
currently undergoing court martial.
Lim, along with Oakwood mutiny leader Sen.
Antonio Trillanes IV, also figured in last year’s Nov. 29
incident at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati where they
holed out, read a statement accusing President Arroyo of
corruption and political illegitimacy, and invited others to
join them in withdrawing support from her.
On Monday, Trillanes said that senior
military officers may intervene and oust the President in the
impeachment process. Trillanes was a Navy lieutenant during the
Oakwood mutiny.
Yano, at the 58th foundation anniversary of
the Army unit here, reminded Scout Rangers that their being
elite soldiers does not mean that they are above the law as he
stressed the need to uphold the Constitution.
"Of late, I know that the regiment has
received some criticism due to extraordinary circumstances
involving a few ranger officers. Ranger esprit de corps is tight
and we know that many of you sympathize for one reason or
another to the plight of some of these officers," said Yano.
"This I understand. But as I do, I want each of you to keep in
mind that being elite does not mean being above the law. Being
elite is not the same as being beyond reproach. On the contrary,
being elite as a Ranger means you have a greater responsibility
to be a role model in upholding the standard of professionalism
in the entire military organization."
Yano said not much has changed in the mission
of the FSRR since its foundation by the late general and defense
secretary Rafael Ileto – to obey their constitutional mandate to
protect the people, the sovereignty of the state and integrity
of the national territory.
"With being one of the most admired soldiers
in the organization come the expectation that you will not abuse
your skill and unique place in the Armed Forces. Because your
peers look up to you, you have the responsibility to shield the
military institution from forces and interests that wish to
divide us for we are only as strong as we want to be. When we
break the chain of command, then the armor of strength that
shields the institution is also damaged," Yano said. He
described the personnel of the FSRR as guardian angels for other
soldiers and angels of death for members of threat groups.
In a later interview, Yano said the sympathy
for Lim’s group in the FSSR derives simply from personal and
informal affiliation, but "I feel that the mandate that they
have as professional soldiers is very clear," he said.
Yano said he is confident of the loyalty of
Scout Ranger chief Col. Noel Coballes, his men, and other
military commanders to the chain of chain of command. "I have no
doubt as to the loyalty and competence of every commander. They
are competent, they are loyal, and they have proven themselves
in the past and the present."
Coballes said he is sure about his men and
their morale is very high. "I believe there are some people who
feel bad because of personal attachment but professionally, it
seems that no one wants to emulate (the group of Lim) because
many of the soldiers here have learned their lesson," he said.
"We want to be professional now...We want the soldiers to follow
the chain of command and we don’t like to suffer the same fate
as those who have joined the previous incidents."
Brig. Gen. Arturo Ortiz, chief of the Special Operations
Command which has jurisdiction over the FSRR, said SOCOM forces
are not affected by political issues, including the ongoing
impeachment proceeding against the President. SOCOM has two
other elite units under it – the Special Forces Regiment and the
US-trained Light Reaction Battalion. "They are not affected
because they are very focused on the ongoing combat operations
right now," said Ortiz. "I feel that we have sent the message to
them not to allow themselves to be used, the previous adventures
is clear that they were just used." – Victor Reyes
