Like any developing nation, the Philippine Military (AFP, as in "Armed Forces of the Philippines") and Police (PNP aka "Philippine National Police) are riddled with corrupt personnel AND practices. Perhaps one finds corruption commited more overtly, but in terms of how widely it exists, I havent found the country to be any worse than any other Southeast Asian Nation.
What does set Philippine corruption apart though is its spectacular "in your face" nature. I have found, on average, that national media outlets cover major cases of AFP and/or PNP corruption at least twice a month. Rarely, one finds a source reporting something from the opposite end of the spectrum-a "good deed," or an example of civic virtue -emanating from both entities. However, the following case is unique in that it shows the PNP at its worst, and the AFP at its best.
When enlisted or non-commissioned infantrymen in the AFP approach retirement their superior officers coddle them. Offers of an Educational Leave, in AFP speak, "Exit Schooling," allow men approaching retirement to sit back and take it easy for once. Enough of the digging cesspools for peasants in the name of "Peace and Development," conducting checkpoints at remote jungle outposts in hopes of finding a few board feet of illegaly harvested timber, or standing guard at village elections in hopes of preventing the inevitable Election Related Violence (so common here that it is given its own acronym, EVR). Of course, were he even a captain he would be laying in bed at home, only travelling to his assigned post to pick up his share of purloined public funds, or, the proceeds of organized criminal enterprises that are found at every organic IB (infantry battalion) on Mindanao. Men with 25 years or more service, like Master Sergeant (MSgt) Eleno Leopoldo, of the 58IB, are given an extra perk on top of Exit Schooling, they are put on paid hiatus until retirement.
Although only 50 years old, and thereby six years shy of the AFP's Mandatory Retirement, Leopoldo has 26 years under his belt and since soldiering is a young man's endeavour, he filed his request in late 2011. Given an Exit Date of December 20th, 2012, he would enjoy 7 months on Hiatus. Although a native of Oroquieta City in the Mindanowan province of Misamis Occidental, he returned to his home of 20 years, Barangay Burgos in the small town of Cortes, in Surigao del Sur, Mindanao's Caraga Region.
Although Surigao del Sur Province is largely controlled by the Maoist NPA, Cortes has been largely spared the strife and bloodshed that has wracked most towns in that province. In fact, even crime is nearly non-existent in that corner of our fair isle. Therefore, it was a huge suprise when, in the late afternoon of May 18th, 2012, MSgt.Leopoldo witnessed a horrific crime.
While along National Hiway, en route to his home after a long day in his small rice paddy, Leopold saw his neighbour Tomas Corales struggling with a man. As he slowly approached, Leopold was shocked to see the assailant pistol whip Corales, while a second man raised a pistol, shouting for Corales' grown son Vicente to dismount from his father's precious green motorcycle. Vicente hesitated only to take a bullet in each thigh.
As luck would have it, MSgt.Leopold, like most farmers in the area, carried a rifle while working in his fields. Rats are a perennial problem for rice and corn growers on Mindanao and ao Leopold carried with him a single shot 22 caliber rifle. Unfortunately however, Leopold had just spent the better part of the afternoon shooting at any slight movement in the rice field. As a result, Leopold had only six shells.
At 70 meters from the struggle taking place in front of him, Leopold quickly loaded a shell. Seeing a man with a rifle ariaching them, the two men with Tomas and Vicente Corales drew down on Corales. The two attackers were part of a group of five, all from the municipality of Mati, in Davao Oriental Province. The three attackers not occupied with the attempted theft of the Corales' motorcycle now grabbed it and as one man started it, the other two jumped.aboard behind the driver and burned rubber peeling out in their escape.
Now at 50 meters and closing, Leopold aimed his rifle and shot the man who had just pistol whipped Tomas Corrales. Hitting the attacker square in the abdomen, Leopold killed the man instantly. Quickly loading a second shell intothe chamber, Leopold squeezed off a second.round, hitting the gunman who had just shot Vicente Corrales in the face. Because the second attacker was standing sideways in relation to Leopold, the round shot the man's nose off but didnt kill him. Rapidly dropping a third shell into the chamber, Leopold attempted to neutralise the remaining three attackeers who had by then, managed to commandeer the Corrales' motorcycle and peel out in an attempt to escape. By the time Leopold fired his fourth shell however, the stolen motorcycle had spun out of control and landed in an irrigation ditch. Instead of wasting his last two shells Leopold kept his rifle trained on the three but alas, they ran at full speed through a rice paddy, and then into the jungle.
Responding PNP from the MPO, or Municipal Police Office, arrived on scene fifteen minutes later, and instantly drew down on MSgt.Leopold, mistaking the man who saved the day for an attacker. After realising their mistake the responding officers discovered that the dead and wounded attackers were among those responsible for a violent armed robbery that had preceeded the attempted theft of the Corrales motorcycle; at just before 4PM that afternoon, five unfamiliar faces had entered the retail establishment cum gambling headquarters owned by Nomeriano Corada, posing as customers.
Without warning the five men had all pulled pistols, divested Mr.Corada of P14,000 ($310), and then quickly cleanedout all cash, with a REPORTED amount of P400,000 ($9,000)-more than two years wages for most in the area. After leaving Corada's "store" on foot, the five made their way out to National Hiway where they ran into Tomas and Vicente Corales on their motorcycle just outside Cortes Municipal Hospital...and their their date with destiny and
MSgt.Eleno Leopoldo (and of course his 22.rifle).
Upon approaching the shot attackers, the PNP discovered a pistol on each, a 9MM on the dead man, and a 45 caliber on the wounded man. Moreover, the PNP discovered that the dead man, the leader of the five men, was one of their own. 38 year old Arnold Valentin Olveda was a PO1, or Police Officer First Grade, with the Mati MPO, in Davao Oriental Province. Having gone AWOL three days earlier, PO1 Olveda had led his small group on a cross-island crime spree. The wounded man was PO1 Olveda's elder brother, Tomie Olveda, age 45, and himself a public school.yeacher. After.being tortured...I mean QUESTIONED...gave Cortes MPO the identites of his three escaped accomplices:
1) Tito Carmelita
2) Jun Gallardo
3) Eljon Lauron
As of posting, all three remain free and so now MSgt.Leopold is unable to stay at home. He and his family have had to re-locate and of course that means he has been unable to tend to his rice paddy, thereby depriving him and his family of their main source of income. Police have also seized his trusted 22 rifle as evidence and since his service weaponry had been surrendered prior to his taking Leave, he has no way in which to defend himself and.his family.
As luck would have it, that rifle was manufactured domestically, by ARMSCOR. ARMSCOR is the corporate progeny of Squires Bingham which has been in bed with the Government since the early American Era, and in bed with the AFP since Independance. As such, the corporation fields an entire Reserve IB for the AFP, under Lieutenant Colonel Chua. Therefore it came as no suprise when the company announced it was awarding MSgt.Leopoldo with.a brand new pistol. One would imagine Leopoldo might land himself a cushy endorsement deal. However, since this is, after all, the Philippines, Leopoldo is lucky to have even gotten a pistol.
Finally, Cortes MPO claims it merely seized the jewlery and a paltry P13,000 ($270) off of the body of PO1 Olveda. P387,000 ($8,800) remains "missing."
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