By Martin Sadongdong
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has ordered an investigation into the deliberate photo manipulation of alleged rebel-surrenderers by a unit of the Philippine Army in the Bicol Region, as the embarrassing blunder reached the military's upper echelon.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana
(Richard V. Viñas / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
"I have directed the CG Army to make an inquiry. Sanctions will be meted to those who perpetrated it," Lorenzana said on Saturday night.
According to the Defense chief, the issue was "very serious" because it "undermines the efforts" of the whole Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in fighting the 51-year problem on communist insurgency in the country.
"The military is doing well, enjoying an unprecedented high trust rating from the people. And now this? This action is unacceptable," he said.
Meanwhile, General Noel Clement, AFP Chief of Staff, also called for a thorough probe on the Army's 9th Infantry Division (9ID) where the manipulated photo came from.
"We uphold the highest standards in reporting and delivering information to the public, and everyone adheres to it as our credibility, no less, is at stake," said Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson.
Arevalo maintained that it is a well-settled policy in the AFP for high ranking officials to review and validate any materials, may it be a statement or a photo, that will be released to the media for public consumption.
He assured the public that military personnel who committed any infraction will be punished.
Reacting to the calls for an investigation, the Philippine Army assured sanctions against said the military personnel who committed lapses in the conduct of their duty.
"We will investigate this matter and hold whoever is accountable to face the appropriate sanctions," said Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala, Army spokesperson.
The 9ID earlier issued a public apology as it admitted manipulating several photos where 306 alleged ex-rebels supposedly surrendered to authorities in Masbate on December 26, coinciding with the 51st founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
The photo manipulation engendered doubts on whether or not the mass surrender of ex-communist rebels indeed occurred. Allegations came up that the photo they used was a recycled one from a mass surrender event in Milagros, Masbate in 2017.
Major Ricky Anthony Aguilar, 9ID public affairs chief, said what happened was an "honest mistake" on their part while he insisted that the mass surrender of the ex-rebels really happened on December 26.
Read more: Army criticized for releasing digitally manipulated photos of alleged rebel surrenderers