I recall that in February 2004, opposition vice-presidential candidate Sen. Loren Legarda’s allies in the Senate ganged up on Armed Forces civil relations chief Brig. Gen. Victor Corpus for calling her a “political prostitute.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Juan Flavier led the barrage by calling on Corpus’ attack on Legarda was an affront to women. “I thought it follows that an officer is a gentleman,” he said. “Was I proven wrong by General Corpus, who threw into the sewer this concept with his mean and malicious comments on her?”
The late Flavier said “Loren is my friend, but I would also rise up to defend the honor of all women as we see in them our mothers, sisters and daughters.” He wanted Corpus to publicly apologize to Legarda and seriously consider retirement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
After 18 years, Loren Legarda finally made a public confession, in her own words and at the halls of the Senate, that she is indeed a political prostitute.
Yesterday, Legarda admitted “I stand here as someone who has worked with the so-called ‘left’ of this country…”
So now she wants the anti-terror law reviewed, “I recall, and I hope my vote was recorded correctly when I was in the House of Representatives at the time of the Pandemic, because I did not vote in its favor.”
If Senator Legarda thinks our memory is short, here were the others who other than Flavier, bullied Corpus. Her patron Sen. Edgardo Angara said Corpus is known for doing “crazy things. (He) is just masquerading as an intelligence officer with no intelligence.”
Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said that the general’s “gutter language was ungentlemanly and betrayed his breeding — or lack thereof.” He asked President Arroyo to refrain from using government personnel and resources to discredit the opposition.
Corpus indicted Legarda, who was the running mate of opposition Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) standard-bearer Fernando Poe Jr. for meeting with one Pastor “Boy” Saycon at his Makati residence during which the alleged plot to overthrow the government was discussed.
“Nakikipaglaro si Loren sa lahat (Loren is playing with everybody),” Corpus said in an interview, adding she would do everything “even to the point of selling the country” just to gain power.
The plot involved the newly formed “Kawal Filipino”, whose alleged coup attempt was foiled with the arrest of five Army captains last week.
Kawal Filipino demanded the resignation of Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita whom it accused of using the government machinery to spy on Mrs. Arroyo’s enemies, among them presidential candidates Fernando Poe Jr., Raul Roco, and Panfilo Lacson.
General Corpus said at that time he was ready to explain to his senior officers with the evidence to back up his accusations linking the senator and Saycon, adding that “it is easy to explain. I have the documents to prove (my allegations).”
At least 10 Army captains have volunteered to provide information to the National Bureau of Investigation and Army investigators to strengthen the charges of sedition to be filed against Saycon.
AFP vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia, however, ordered Corpus to explain his statement against Legarda, adding that “certainly, there are limits to what (Corpus) can say. He may have something in mind which means almost the same thing, but the word may have been too strong.”
Malacanang, however, took the side of Brig. Gen Corpus.
Deputy Presidential Spokesman Ricardo Saludo said Corpus has not violated the directives of Mrs. Arroyo barring the military from engaging in partisan political activities related to the May 10 national and local elections.
“Being a person who is involved in (the) intelligence service, he may, from time to time, make statements about intelligence findings that are not necessarily… intended to be political,” Saludo said, thus the allegations hurled by Corpus against Legarda cannot be classified as partisan political statements.”
But fast-forward to where we are today, with a law against terror, shortlisting the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New Peoples Army and the National Democratic Front, and some of its “frentes” or masked organizations as terrorists, here is what fat lady sings:
“I do not recall what law or what pronouncement of government has declared the Communist Party of the Philippines or similar organizations, movements, beliefs, associations could be declared as what, enemies of the state?
She could not be precise “It’s so difficult to identify that.”
But she is well-versed saying“…the disposition of forces is part of the four elements of CASER.”
What is CASER but the Comprehensive Agreement on Social Economic Reforms! According to Duterte’s Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., “It is simply a “copycat of the programs of the communist insurgents”.
What anathema is “CASER insists that the Philippine government surrenders its sovereignty. It forces upon the state outmoded and erroneous concepts that were conceived more than half a century ago,” said Galvez.
CASER is based on an obsolete framework and is no longer relevant since it is largely based on the pre-industrialization and pre-globalization era.
But what does Legarda now say? “If we see and study what they actually believe, and what, it is social justice! It is really uplifting our people from poverty for decades…”
The senator’s caveat is foolish and absurd: “… without bearing arms of course!”
What CPP-NPA-NDF is all about is the violent overthrow of the existing government. These terrorists have always made a distinction after the anti-sedition law was rescinded during the Ramos presidency that a revolt is acceptable, and in fact part of human rights, provided no force is involved.
Legarda was even patronizing, “I (was) in the military establishment. I studied GSC and NDCP. I proudly belong to the AFP Reserve Corps being a full colonel.”
Goddammit, Loren, these communist terrorists have been responsible for more than 50,000 military, police and civilian deaths and you dare flaunt your diploma and badge?
She would not even “pass judgment and label perhaps certain organizations whose beliefs maybe different from the general majority, but when we look at it, we bear similar objectives, vision, dreams for our people.”
Legarda even called it “social justice”!
Again in 2004, one of her apologists, senatorial candidate Ernesto Herrera described Corpus as an “attack dog” of the administration “precisely chosen to savage the opposition because of his long history of betrayal and selling people down the drain.”
Herrera that “Corpus did not even know that Loren and Boy were relatives and they talk about family matters and they do not do talks on the sly.”
So what if they were relatives? The accusation was they were playing footsies with the putchists.
Well, Herrera and Legarda lost in that election.
Herrera, Flavier, Angara, and even Saycon have since died with no signs on which floor of the elevator, the basement or the penthouse, they are.
They left Pimentel behind, who is enjoying his “third” term, where the Constitution only allows two-terms for senators. Koko has also annulled his first marriage and has taken a second wife.
As for Legarda, at least I am sure Corpus did not technically convert to Islam, just to avoid going to jail for marrying a bigamist.
So when you come to think about it, none of them really had the breeding that Corpus has had. In time, he always stood for what he thought was right.
Only Corpus proved to be a patriot among them, having the balls to call terrorists, terrorists, and prostitutes, prostitutes.
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