That title is certainly a mouthful but then so is the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines's party line about Congressmen Pacquiao. When someone is rich, and especially IF someone is ALSO powerful, the world is their oyster. Didn't finish elementary school? No problem, here's your honorary high school diploma. Hey, why not hang it up there next to your spiffy honourary university degree Mr.Manny, just be kind enough to make an appearance at the school, welcome to the alumni metting. Always fantasised about being one of the shot callers of Mindanao? An honest to goodness lowlife thug? Why not run for Congress? Still feeling as if something is missing? As if life has passed poor old Pacman by? Well the AFP has just the tonic for you!
On April 27th, 2006, Pacquiao was commissioned in the AFP Reserve Forces as a Sergeant, attached to the 15th Ready Reserves. Never mind that there are enlisted men with literally 25 years under their belt who have yet to break Corporal. Forget about the fact that just about each and everyone has several combat tours under their belt with just about everyone of the numerous Philippine Insurgencies pasted onto their overly long resumes. Don't trouble yourself over the fact that the only way to make that rank is by taking a round and letting their loved ones collect the measly P40,000 ($800) that the AFP doles out everytime it's forced to install new cannon fodder. Simply bask in the glow of being able to dress up like a real soldier.
On December 1st of that same year then-AFP Chief of Staff, General Alexander "Alex" B.Yano personally gave the Pacster an early Christmas gift when he promoted the pugnacious pugilist to the rank of Technical Sergeant. The following October 7th, 2007 Pacquiao was again promoted, this time to the rank of Master Sergeant, a position he would barely have time to acclimate to since on May 4th, 2009, Manny Pacquiao again ascended in rank and became a Command Seargant Major, the highest non-commissioned rank in the AFP. Mind you that this rank is extremely rare, only one NCO, or Non-Commissioned Officer may hold it at any one time and them only for a maximum term not to exceed three years.
On September 21st, 2011, the AFP slapped every one of its men and women, from the freshest Candidate Soldier to the old war horse of a Lieutenant when it did the un-imaginable and commissioned Pacquiao as a Senior Officer, making him the first person in the AFP to ever make that long leap from Non-Commissioned into a Senior rank. In fact, noone has ever made the leap from Non-Commisioned to Commisioned, let alone to Senior Officer. Athough unheard of in the extremely class conscious AFP it has happened in other militaries such as the US Army. The first rank as a Commissioned Officer within that structure is that of the Second Lieutenant, or 2Lt. for short.
So, did everyone's favourite boxer become a 2Lt? Noooooo. How about a 1Lt.? No way Jose! The Pacaliscious has been commissioned as a Lieutenant Colonel, two ranks below General. Here is the AFP reeling from the Garcia Case, the worst case of corruption in the AFP since its inception and they toss out this nonsense. The bonehead who tabled this preposturous skit should be drummed out on his rear.
While waiting for THAT to happen though perhaps we might take a seak peek at how the AFP has rationalised this "promotion"; Very simply, the AFP cites Section 44 of Republic Act #7077 which does allow such promotions so long as the subject is degreed university graduate. The rationale behind Section 44 is that in cases of wartime and/or when the AFP finds itself hard pressed to recuit for certain specialty positions. For example, the AFP may be badly in need of dentists and find that it has been unable to recruit enough via the standard channels. It could then recruit dentists through a conventional hiring scenario and then offer immediate commissions as 2Lts.
How does a man who dropped out of school at 11 years of age suddenly become a degree holder? In 2007, as he geared up for his first foray into politics in the South Cotabato Congressional Race of that same year when Pacquiao ran, and lost, in his bid to unseat incumbent Congresswoman Darlene Custodio. He received an equivalent highschool diploma through the Government's ALS, or Alternative Learning System.
Not satisfied with his diploma Pacquiao enrolled at Notre Dame of Dadiangas, a college in his hometown of General Santos, or as it is more widely known, GenSan. Of course Manny didn't attend classes. Instead he had one on one tutorials with the school's professors WHEN his busy schedule permitted him to do so. In other words, it's a sham designed to induce financial support for the school. Not wanting Notre Dame of Dadiangas to enjoy Pacquiao's envisioned largesse all by its lonesome other fonts of higher learning jumped up upon the Pacquiao bandwagon. The first mealy eyed contestant was the venerable Southwestern University in Cebu City which , again amazingly, conferred a Doctorate! Yep, Pacquiao became a Ph.D over night! At first the school wanted to issue it in Human Kinetics. A problem arose though when the powers that be forbade it from being in that field. Quick on his toes the school's Chancellor decided instead to make Manny a Doctor of the Humanities. If it wasn't so disgusting I just might laugh.
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