PGMA's Speech during the Meeting with National ROTC Alumni Association
Fiesta Pavilion, Manila Hotel (March 5, 2001)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH GENERAL HOTCHKISS.

CAPTAIN VILLARUEL; SECRETARY ERMITA; SECRETARY GOLEZ; ADMIRAL HINGCO;
PARTICIPANTS TO THIS 15th ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE NATIONAL ROTC ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION; OFFICERS, MEN, WOMEN, AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL OF THE ARMED
FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES, AS WELL AS THE PNP AND THE COAST GUARD;
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR WARM RECEPTION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WARM APPLAUSE.

I'M GLAD TO JOIN YOUR 15th ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE ROTC ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION. AND I'M VERY PLEASED TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF ACTIVE AND
RESERVE OFFICERS AND RETIREES, ALL MEMBERS OF NARAA. YOU ARE SERVING THE
ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES, OR THE PNP, OR THE COAST GUARD WELL.

AND THIS AFTERNOON, I'M ALSO VERY HONORED THAT AMONG THE FIRST MENTIONED BY
GENERAL HOTCHKISS, I'M ALSO APPARENTLY, I UNDERSTAND, THE FIRST
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TO JOIN THE ROTC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IN YOUR CONVENTION.

AND WHY AM I DOING THIS?

BECAUSE I WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE AFP AND THE PNP,
THE COAST GUARD WHO DO NOT COME FROM THE PMA OR THE PNPA, OR ANNAPOLIS LIKE
SECRETARY GOLEZ, PLAY SIMILARLY IMPORTANT ROLES IN THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE
AFP'S, PNP'S AND COAST GUARD ROLE.

WE ALWAYS GO, THE COMMANDERS-IN-CHIEF, TO THE PMAAA, THE PMA HOMECOMING,
THE GRADUATION, BECAUSE PMA IS VERY IMPORTANT. BUT THE ROTC IS VERY
IMPORTANT TOO, AND THAT IS WHY I'M HERE WITH YOU.

THE NARAA, FOR INSTANCE, IS ONE ORGANIZATION THAT IS NOT ONLY EMERGING AS A
POWERFUL AND SIGNIFICANT FORCE IN THE MILITARY AND POLICE AND THE COAST
GUARD BUT IS ALSO STARTING TO PLAY A GREATER ROLE IN PROFESSIONALIZING THE
AFP, THE PNP AND THE COAST GUARD CORPS.

I RECOGNIZE THE ROLE OF THE ROTC IN MAINTAINING A POOL OF STANDBY OFFICERS
AND ENLISTED MEN FOR THE MILITARY, THE POLICE AND THE COAST GUARD. AND
WHETHER YOU ARE ON ACTIVE DUTY OR RESERVE DUTY, NARAA MEMBERS HAVE ACTIVELY
PARTICIPATED IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, CALAMITY AND
DISASTER CONTROL AND THE MAINTENANCE OF NATIONAL STABILITY ESPECIALLY IN
THE COUNTRYSIDE.

CONSIDERING THAT YOUR ASSOCIATION REPRESENTS ABOUT 75% OF THE ENTIRE AFP,
PNP AND COAST GUARD, THE NARAA INDEED IS A FORCE TO RECKON WITH.

MANY TIMES YOU HAVE PROVEN YOURSELVES WORTHY OF OUR PEOPLES' TRUST AND
RESPECT. YOU HAVE SHOWN THIS BY YOUR COURAGE AND STEADFASTNESS IN YOUR
DUTIES AND YOUR QUICK AND TIMELY RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR PEOPLE.

YOUR IMPORTANCE AS ONE FORCE WAS MADE CLEAR DURING THE HISTORIC EVENT OF
PEOPLE POWER 2 IN EDSA. I STILL RECALL THAT MANY NARAA LEADERS WERE AMONG
THE FIRST TO STAND BESIDE ME AT EDSA 2, AND YOU WERE STANDING BESIDE ME
EVEN BEFORE EDSA 2. YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE PEOPLE IN EDSA 2
CONTRIBUTED TO OUR PURPOSE BOTH AS A PEOPLE AND AS A NATION. AND BY YOUR
PRESENCE THERE, YOU INFLUENCED THE EVENTS THAT LED TO THE PEACEFUL,
CONSTITUTIONAL AND SWIFT SOLUTION OF THE POLITICAL CRISIS THAT WAS
CRIPPLING OUR NATION.

THANK YOU, THEREFORE, TODAY FOR BEING ON THE SIDE OF THE PEOPLE AND FOR
OPTING TO BE ONE WITH THE MAJORITY IN THEIR QUEST FOR A BETTER NATION.

I RECOGNIZE YOUR LOYALTY AND PROFESSIONALISM AND I KNOW YOU WILL CONTINUE
LIVING UP TO THESE TRAITS. WE SHOULD NEVER ALLOW DIVISIVENESS WITHIN OUR
FORCES.

I URGE YOU THEREFORE, TO STRENGTHEN SOLIDARITY WITHIN YOUR RANKS AND MAKE
YOURSELVES CONTINUE TO BE AGENTS OF CHANGE NOT ONLY WITHIN THE MILITARY,
BUT ALSO THE POLICE AND THE COAST GUARD.

FOR MY PART, I ASSURE YOU THAT I WILL ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT AFFECT THE
ENTIRE MILITARY ORGANIZATION, THE POLICE ORGANIZATION -- INDEED ALL THE
ORGANIZATIONS OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES.

I INTEND TO PRESERVE THE COMMUNITY OF UNIFORMED SERVICES THAT BELIEVES AND
IS WILLING TO FIGHT AND UPHOLD FULLY THE SOLDIERS' CODE OF ETHICS, THE
POLICEMEN'S CODE OF ETHICS, THE COAST GUARD CODE OF ETHICS -- THE SAME
BELIEFS THAT NARAA MEMBERS CULTIVATE: THE BELIEF IN HONOR, LOYALTY, VALOR,
DUTY AND SOLIDARITY.

WE NEED THESE VALUES TO BIND AND MAKE THE ENTIRE MILITARY ORGANIZATION
WORK. AND THEY ARE ALSO THE BELIEFS REQUIRED TO DEVELOP A PROFESSIONALLY
COMPETENT AND JUST ARMED FORCES -- ONE THAT CAN PROVIDE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY,
AS GENERAL HOTCHKISS SAYS, FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS,
THROUGH TRAINING EDUCATION, ASSIGNMENT AND PROMOTIONS, AND THROUGH A SYSTEM
OF BENEFITS THAT IS SOCIALLY EQUITABLE AND MEANINGFUL TO ALL ITS MEMBERS.

I RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR BELIEF IN PROFESSIONALISM AND MERITOCRACY AND YOUR
COURAGE IN MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE -- AS EMBODIED IN NARAA'S
VISION -- ARE JUST AS STRONG AND JUST AS WORTHY OF THE GRATITUDE OF THE
FILIPINO PEOPLE AS ANY OTHER GROUP.

I SHARE THOSE BELIEFS TOO AS PART OF MY VISION OF GOOD GOVERNANCE. TO ME,
AS I HAVE SAID VERY OFTEN, GOOD GOVERNANCE RESTS ON THREE PILLARS: AN ETHIC
OF TRANSPARENCY IN ALL TRANSACTIONS; A SOUND MORAL FOUNDATION; AND AN ETHIC
OF EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION.

I AM THEREFORE HAPPY THAT I HAVE YOUR GROUP, THIS LARGE GROUP, THAT SHARES
THIS VISION. FOR THROUGH YOU AND THROUGH ALL OTHER LIKE-MINDED
INDIVIDUALS, WE WILL PROPAGATE THIS BELIEF IN STRONG, TRANSPARENT, MORAL
AND EFFICIENT GOVERNANCE.

I URGE YOU TO BE AGENTS OF MORAL CHANGE IN YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES.
THIS IS THE TIME TO PROVE YOUR WORTH AND I AM COUNTING ON EVERY MEMBER OF
THIS ORGANIZATION.

LET US NOT SQUANDER OUR GAINS IN EDSA WHERE YOU WERE THERE WITH US. AND I
HOPE INDEED THAT AS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF I HAVE STARTED THIS TRADITION OF
BEING WITH YOU, I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE DOING THAT AS PART OF OUR
INSTITUTIONALIZED CONSULTATION WITH VARIOUS SECTORS OF SOCIETY.

AS I SAID EARLIER, THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TRADITIONALLY GOES TO PMAAA, THE
PMA HOMECOMING AND THE PMA GRADUATION, WITH YOU THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SO
LET US BEGIN, LET US MEET AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR SO THAT I CAN BE UPDATED ON
YOUR ONGOING REFORMS IN THE AFP AND PNP.

OUR ADMINISTRATION CONTINUOUSLY STUDIES THE NEEDED CHANGES IN THE ARMED
FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES SO AS TO HAVE AN AFP THAT IS UNITED AND READY TO
RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE. THIS IS THE SAME POLICY FOR THE PNP AS
WELL AS FOR THE COAST GUARD.

YOUR THEME, "COMMITTED TO SERVE OUR COUNTRY AND PEOPLE," IS TIMELY AND
SPEAKS WELL OF YOUR ASSOCIATION, ESPECIALLY NOW IT WILL AGAIN BE PUT TO
TEST IN THE COMING ELECTIONS. I HAVE ASKED GENERAL MENDOZA TO BE VERY
STRICT ABOUT ELECTIONEERING AND THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE SEEN SOME HEADLINES.

I WAS VERY HAPPY TO VISIT ONE OF THE REGIONS, AND THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR
TOLD ME, "MA'AM, I AM NOT ELECTIONEERING," BECAUSE HIS NAME APPEARED IN THE
PAPERS. AND I SAID, "I HOPE NOT, THAT'S GOOD." SO I TOLD SECRETARY LINA,
"GENERAL SO-AND-SO SAID HE'S NOT ELECTIONEERING." LINA SAID, "VERY GOOD, I
HOPE THEY KNOW THAT WE KNOW."

AND AGAIN, AS HAS ALWAYS BEEN, YOUR MEMBERS IN ACTIVE SERVICE WILL BE
CALLED UPON AND WILL BE IN THE FOREFRONT OF MAINTAINING ORDERLY AND HONEST
ELECTIONS.

AND IT IS MY DESIRE THAT THE AFP AND PNP WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN NEUTRAL
DURING ELECTIONS AND WILL CONCENTRATE ONLY ON KEEPING THE PEACE, AND NOT
LET POLITICS INFLUENCE THE EFFICIENCY OF OUR FORCES.

IN MINDANAO AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EMBRACED A POLICY OF PEACE AND EQUITABLE
DEVELOPMENT. FOR WE BELIEVE THAT DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT BE WON WITHOUT
PEACE, AND PEACE WILL NOT BE SUSTAINED WITHOUT DEVELOPMENT. THUS, FOR A
START, I ORDERED THE SUSPENSION OF OFFENSIVE MILITARY OPERATIONS EVEN WHILE
OUR PEACE PANEL FOR MINDANAO IS URGING THE MILF TO RETURN TO THE
NEGOTIATING TABLE.

I RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF NARAA MEMBERS IN OUR FORCES. AND THERE IS NO
BETTER WAY OF EXPRESSING MY CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILITIES -- ASIDE FROM MY
COMING HERE TO BE WITH YOU TODAY -- THAN IN HAVING NAMED AS CHIEF OF THE
PHILIPPINE NAVY, REAR ADMIRAL VICTORINO HINGCO. HE IS A NARAA
MEMBER, AS YOU ALL KNOW. BUT MAYBE NOT ALL OF YOU KNOW, AND I THINK I
SHOULD BRAG, HE WAS MY PERSONAL CHOICE. YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT
ADMIRAL. I HAVEN'T TOLD YOU, NOW YOU KNOW.

IN HIM, YOU HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE AT THE HIGHEST DECISION-MAKING LEVELS OF
THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES. AND I'M GLAD THAT GENERAL HOTCHKISS
HAS RECOGNIZED THIS AS A HISTORIC DECISION. AND I HOPE, THEREFORE, THAT I
DESERVE YOUR SUPPORT WHEN IN RETURN, I ASKED THE COMMITMENT OF THE NARAA
LEADERSHIP TO PROVIDE DIRECTION FOR ALL ITS MEMBERS, TAKING TO HEART OUR
DESIRE TO HAVE A UNITED AFP, A UNITED PNP, A UNITED COAST GUARD THAT ARE
COMMITTED TO SERVING THE FILIPINO PEOPLE.

NOW THAT WE HAVE A SUPREME COURT SAYING 13-0 NOW IS THE TIME TO HEAL AND
THE TIME TO REBUILD OUR NATION. AND THE TASK IS OVERPOWERING. WE MUST
THEREFORE BE ONE IN OUR PRIORITIES, ONE IN OUR VALUES AND COMMITMENTS, AND
ONE IN OUR EFFORTS TO TRANSFORM, TO RECOVER, AND THEN TO GROW.

NANANAWAGAN PO AKONG MULI SA MGA MIYEMBRO NG NARAA NA IPAGPATULOY ANG
PAKIKIPAGTULUNGAN SA ATING PAMAHALAAN. KUNG TAYO AY MAGTUTULUNGAN AT
MAGKAKAISA SA ATING MGA LAYUNIN AY MAKAKABUO TAYO NG MAS MATATAG AT MAS
MALAKAS NA PULISYA AT MILITAR AT COAST GUARD SA ATING BANSA.

KAYA BINIBIGYAN KO KAYO NG IMPORTANSYA, ALAM KONG BIBIGYAN DIN NIYO NG
IMPORTANSYA ANG LAYUNIN NG ATING PAMAHALAAN.

MARAMING SALAMAT SA INYONG LAHAT.
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