MANILA, Philippines — Defense officials vowed Thursday to scrub the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) of the barnacles of corruption that had corroded the organization.

“No corrupt practices shall happen under my watch. We will never allow indiscriminate spending of the funds of the DND (Department of National Defense) and the AFP. They will be properly managed,’’ Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told the Senate Blue Ribbon committee that is undertaking hearings on widespread, high-profile corruption in the military establishment.

‘’I am aware of the struggles of my fellow soldiers. I am resolute to look after their welfare,’’ Gazmin added during the 150-minute hearing at the Senate building Thursday that started at 9 a.m. Thursday.

One of the reform measures, according to Gazmin, was the participation of civil society in bidding procedures through a memorandum of agreement between the DND and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and the Makati Business Club.

‘’The DND, in line with the direction of President Aquino, is devoted to walk the path of reforms and change. We shall tread this avenue of uprightness towards overall transformation of systems, military culture, norms, behavior and attitudes,’’ he added.

AFP chief of staff Gen. Ricardo Oban Jr. also vowed that the AFP, hurt by its sense of loss of its honor following months-long Senate committee hearings on widespread, high-profile AFP corruption scandals that involved retiring AFP chiefs of staff, assured senators that the AFP is motivated to ensure reforms within its ranks.

Having been listed as the most corrupt government agency in government because of sins imputed on a few, the AFP has propelled itself to ‘’vigorously pursue our reform agenda,’’ Oban added.

The committee chaired by Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, however, maintained a ‘’let’s see’’ attitude on the promises of Gazmin and Oban, particularly the latter’s proposed 18-point financial and logistical reforms covering logistics, finance, personnel training, discipline and law and order.

Although he told Senate reporter that he believed in the integrity and good intentions of both Gazmin and Oban, Guingona said ‘’time will tell if the reforms as proposed are effective.’’

At the forefront of the corruption scandal were retired Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot and retired Maj. General Carlos F. Garcia, both former AFP comptrollers, who are facing criminal charges arising from the diversion of government funds in the AFP budgets to their personal accounts amounting to hundreds of millions of pesos.

Also linked to the scandal were former AFP chiefs of staff, Angelo Reyes, Diomedio Villanueva and Roy Cimatu.

While Reyes committed suicide when the committee hearing appeared headed to elicit more information on the alleged involvement of his family in the AFP scandal, Ligot was briefly incarcerated at the Senate for refusing to testify on alleged specific corruption cases at the AFP.

Reyes, Villanueva and Cimatu were allegedly given ‘’pabaon’’ (retirement send off) by AFP finance officers when they retired in the early 2000s. Reyes was allegedly given P50 million, Villanueva-P170 million and Cimatu-P60 million.
All three had denied receiving the ‘’pabaon.’’