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MILITARY'S ATONEMENT FOR HOMOPHOBIA AND CHURCH-BASHING MEANINGLESS
20 December 1997
News Release
 

AFP Chielf of Staff Gen. Arnulfo Acedera's offer of apologies to the Church and the gay community (see relared story below) rings hollow in the light of his ambitions to run for a civilian elective post. When he said "Walang personalan, trabaho lang ito," he wants to appear heroic in taking personal responsibility, and only now, for past working statements of the entire armed forces he still represents for ten more days.

His sincerity can be gauged from his avoidance of involving the military hierarchy in his token gesture, proving that he still fully subscribes to the military's irrational and arbitrary policies in coming to terms with democracy and diversity of opinions in Philippine society. His phrases are contradictory, because he still claims that he was just standing his ground, so we can take that to mean that he can choose to attach and detach his personal beliefs to and from his office at his convenience.

Of course, when publicly confronted, the so-called official statements of the leadership turned out to be based not on elaborately formal procedures, but just deep-seated cultural biases. Gay activists found out the AFP didn't know how to find hidden gay males to purge in the first place. 

In contrast, the gays did not make it personal, and we believe, the Catholic clergy didn't either. We maintained our dignity, making sense out of the military's senselessness by using morally superior arguments and avoiding its clueless logic. To our credit, we gay civilian leaders came out in defense of the closetted gay men who serve in silence inside the armed forces, and if there is anything positive about that episode, gays were given the opportunity to validate the public's growing enlightenment of our humanity and demand for fair treatment. 

Most gays, like other males escaping rural poverty by being employed in the armed forces, allow themselves to be recruited in the military because of the utter lack of jobs that can provide them food, clothes and housing. Imagine their psychological torture when the top brass declared war against gays. Where will they work after the shame of being discharged? It is the poor gay soldiers' forgiveness that Gen. Acedera should seek first. This can only mean anything if he and other officials forswear further attempts to violate the their political and economic rights. 

Gen. Acedera has intentionally made his position vague. So now we can expect the military he is leaving behind to continue and even heighten gay-baiting of innocent gays among the soldiers' ranks, and Red-baiting of Church and civilian groups. And we leave it to the good judgment of the voters of whatever jurisdiction the outgoing general wishes to run for office if they want another war-monger to flush out real or imagined enemies from under their beds. ###
 

Acedera bids troop farewell, makes peace with Church, gays. 

Philippine Daily Inquirer, 20 Dec 1997 

OUTGOING Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Arnulfo Acedera paid tribute and bade farewell to his troops yesterday as he offered his apologies to sectors, including the Church and gay community, whom he said he may have offended in his more than one year stint as the country's top military man. 

The AFP gave a testimonial parade for Acedera, who turned 56 yesterday, at the AFP Grandstand in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. 

Acedera steps down as AFP chief of staff on Jan. 1 next year and will be replaced by Army Chief Gen. Clemente Mariano. 

In his speech, Acedera said he was aware that he may have offended some sectors, including politicians, clergy and the gay community in the course of "(standing his) ground on several issues concerning the soldier and the AFP." 

"Perhaps I was right, perhaps I was wrong," he said. "If I have hurt anyone or any sector, I take this open occasion to offer my sincere apologies to them." 

Saying that he holds these sectors with respect, Acedera assured them that he confronted the issues involving them with a "clean heart." 

"As they say, 'Walang personalan, trabaho lang po ito," he said. 

This as he hinted anew that he may run for a seat in Congress. 

Acedera earlier incurred the wrath of the gay community for saying they were not welcome in the military. 

He also got the ire of politicians and the Church for his statements against the Sept. 21 protest rally against the government move to amend the Constitution. The AFP chief had called on the people to stay away from the rally, claiming leftist groups may bomb the occasion and blame this act on the military, 

The Sept. 21 rally in Luneta went on peacefully. # # #
 
 
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