Answerable Questions (Updated with Reyes’s ‘unfinished letter’ to the PCIJ)
While everyone is writing solemn essays on whether the Reyes suicide is an act of courage or cowardice or the result of extreme depression, the difficulty of being good in a system shot through with corruption, and whether anyone involved in the ongoing investigation into corruption in the military has the moral authority to conduct such an inquiry, we can ask a few questions that would occur to anyone who’s seen an episode of Law and Order or C.S.I.
1. Is there a suicide note? What does it say?
2. In these cases there is usually a note. Are we sure there is no suicide note?
3. The timing is too interesting. The man made sure he would never speak again. Who benefits from his silence?
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THE FINAL WORDS OF ANGELO T. REYES
A warrior comes clean in last battle for honor
BY MALOU MANGAHAS
LATE evening last Feb. 4, Friday, a long-time source suddenly called. Would I be free for brunch the next day, he asked. He wanted to consult me on something important.
We met the next day and he bared his purpose: Angelo ‘Angie’ T. Reyes, the former Armed Forces chief of staff and Defense secretary, wanted to see me so he could tell his story to “an independent journalist” – would I want to interview him? The source happened to be a senior trusted associate of Angie for the last decade or so. . .
Read A warrior comes clean in last battle for honor. Thanks to reader vanilla for the alert.