Angelo Reyes
Encyclopedia
Angelo Tomas Reyes was the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) Chief of Staff from 2000 to 2001 under President
Joseph Estrada
. At the height of the 2001 EDSA Revolution
, Reyes withdrew his support for Estrada which led to the installation of Vice President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
as president, under whom he then served as cabinet secretary
until to 2010, including with the portfolios of National Defense
and Energy
.
Reyes ran for Congress under the United Transport Coalition (1-UTAK), a party representing workers in the public transportation sector, on the 2010 party-list election
but was dropped by his party without his consent that led to litigation which was still ongoing at the time of his death. A week after being accused of corruption while being AFP chief of staff, Reyes died due to a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide.
Reyes was married to Teresita P. Reyes with whom he has five sons, Pablo, Angelito, Marc, Carlo and Judd.
. He completed his secondary education at the Cubao High School (now Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School
) in 1960 where he graduated as the class valedictorian. In 1966, he was among the top ten graduates of the Philippine Military Academy
in Baguio City
. He then proceeded to acquire two masters degrees, namely: Masters in Business Administration from the Asian Institute of Management
in 1973 and a Master of Public Administration
from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
in 1994. He also took up International Defense Management Course in Monterey, California in 1983. In 1987, he graduated No. 1 in Trust Operations Management Course conducted by the Trust Institutes Foundation of the Philippines at the Ateneo Business School which eventually earned him a scholarship to the Northeastern Illinois University
in Chicago
.
. He spent his field command duties as battalion commander, brigade commander, and area commander in Mindanao
where he gained experience in addressing the threats from the communist insurgency and Muslim secessionism in the Philippines. He became the Commanding General of the Philippine Army which then propelled him to the top post of the Philippine military as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
As AFP Chief of Staff, he worked towards the vision of a modern Armed Forces of the Philippines. On January 19, 2001, the then-General Reyes withdrew support from President Joseph Estrada
, leading to his ouster. Reyes held the following positions in the Philippine Army and in the top brass of Armed Forces of the Philippines, garnering various military medals and citations throughout his 39-year military career until he retired in 2001:
As chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, he campaigned for preservation of lives and property through individual preparedness and responsiveness. He ventured on a tri-media information campaign program dubbed “FIRST DEFENSE” which was proven effective in educating individuals and families on how to be self-reliant in times of disasters and calamities.
Reyes stepped down as defense secretary on August 29, 2003, but was later named Anti-Kidnapping Presidential Adviser on October 26, 2003, after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Executive Order Number 248 creating the Office of the Anti-Kidnapping Presidential Adviser, and subsequently, the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTF) to address the problem of kidnapping in the country. His installation as anti-kidnapping czar resulted in the neutralization of certain kidnap-for-ransom gangs.
Reyes was later appointed as the Presidential Adviser on Anti-Smuggling on March 10, 2004 by virtue of Executive Order Number 297 to orchestrate and oversee a consolidated national anti-smuggling campaign.
Throughout his career, Secretary Reyes received various awards and decorations from both the military and civilian institutions. He was a recipient of the Philippine Legion of Honor, AFP Distinguished Service Star, Military Merit Medals, Anti-Dissidence Campaign Ribbons and other Philippine military decorations. He was awarded the Order of the White Elephant by King Bhumidol of Thailand and the Order of Valor by the King of Malaysia.
As a civic leader, he was chosen as the Most Outstanding Project Chairman by the Philippine Jaycees for Project “The Youth Speaks” in 1981. That same project was later adjudged as the Most Outstanding External Affairs Project in the World during the Jaycees World Convention in Germany in 1991. In 1991, he was given the honor of being a Kabisig Awardee for his Project: Common Cause, Uncommon Zeal”. (KABISIG is a nationwide government socio-economic project in rural areas). With all these accomplishments, he was named the Most Outstanding Alumnus of the Asian Institute of Management in 1982 and Most Outstanding PMA Alumnus (Cavalier Award for Public Administration) in 2001.
in the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
from 2004 to 2006.
from 2006 to 2007.
in the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
from 2007 to 2010.
On January 29, 2008, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes announced that International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) 8-man team led by Akira Omoto inspected the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
on rehabilitation prospects. The team members were Zhang Jing, IAEA section head for Asia and the Pacific; Ki Sig Tang, technical officer at the nuclear division; David Greaves and Eric Weinstein; 3 independent experts: John Rames, an expert on legal infrastructure from Australia; Jose E. Brayner, Costa Mattos, a nuclear power expert from Brazil; and Ioan Rotaru, a nuclear power expert from Romania."
As the Energy Chief, Reyes promoted, spearheaded numerous successful projects that defined, created and stabilized the country's energy supply and security. At the time when the global crude oil spiked to its record highs, Reyes did an excellent job as the energy chief by implementing various programs to assist consumers adjust to the new cost of gas and other fuels at the pump. He also re-launched the Compressed Natural Gas Program and issued the only Government Accreditation to Callandra LCNG Fuels Corporation.
panel and accused Reyes of receiving P50 million in "send-off" money when he retired from the Armed Forces, as part of a decades-old military tradition. Reyes denied receiving such funds for his own use and sought to cross-examine Rabusa, but was refused the opportunity. Reyes then did not attend subsequent hearings in both the Senate and the House of Representatives
.
On the morning of February 8, 2011, Reyes, together with two of his sons and a bodyguard, visited his mother's grave at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City
. He asked his children and bodyguard to go ahead and wait for him in the car, then shot himself in the left side of the chest near the heart. He was rushed to the Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City
, but was dead on arrival and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Reyes was buried on February 13, 2011 with full military honors at the Libingan ng mga Bayani
(Heroes' Cemetery) in Taguig City
.
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...
(AFP) Chief of Staff from 2000 to 2001 under President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Joseph Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
. At the height of the 2001 EDSA Revolution
2001 EDSA Revolution
The EDSA Revolution of 2001, also called by the local media as EDSA II or the Second People Power Revolution, is the common name of the four-day revolution that peacefully overthrew Philippine President Joseph Estrada from January 17–20, 2001...
, Reyes withdrew his support for Estrada which led to the installation of Vice President
Vice President of the Philippines
-Description:The Vice-President is the first in the Philippine line of succession, assuming the Presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal by impeachment and subsequent conviction of the incumbent. The position was abolished by Martial Law in 1972, and was not included in the original text...
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
as president, under whom he then served as cabinet secretary
Cabinet of the Philippines
The Cabinet of the Philippines consists of the heads of the largest part of the executive branch of the national government of the Philippines...
until to 2010, including with the portfolios of National Defense
Department of National Defense (Philippines)
The Department of National Defense is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for guarding against external and internal threats to peace and security in the country...
and Energy
Department of Energy (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Energy , abbreviated as DOE is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for preparing, integrating, coordinating, supervising and controlling all plans, programs, projects and activities of the Government relative to energy exploration,...
.
Reyes ran for Congress under the United Transport Coalition (1-UTAK), a party representing workers in the public transportation sector, on the 2010 party-list election
Philippine House of Representatives party-list election, 2010
The 2010 House of Representatives of the Philippines party-list election was on May 10, 2010. The whole country was one at-large district, where parties nominate three persons to be their candidates, ranked in order of which they'll be seated if elected...
but was dropped by his party without his consent that led to litigation which was still ongoing at the time of his death. A week after being accused of corruption while being AFP chief of staff, Reyes died due to a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide.
Reyes was married to Teresita P. Reyes with whom he has five sons, Pablo, Angelito, Marc, Carlo and Judd.
Education
Reyes spent most of his childhood in San Miguel, ManilaSan Miguel, Manila
San Miguel district is a primarily middle-class residential area of Manila. Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the President of Republic of the Philippines, is located in San Miguel district. Just outside Malacañang Palace's gates lies Mendiola Street, the avenue where most mass protest...
. He completed his secondary education at the Cubao High School (now Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School
Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School
Ramon Magsaysay High School is a high school in Quezon City, Philippines. It was founded as an annex of Quezon City High School in 1953 then became an independent school in 1958...
) in 1960 where he graduated as the class valedictorian. In 1966, he was among the top ten graduates of the Philippine Military Academy
Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy or PMA, is the Philippine military school for the Armed Forces of the Philippines . PMA was established on December 21, 1936 by the virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 1 . PMA is located in Baguio, Benguet province...
in Baguio City
Baguio City
The City of Baguio is a highly urbanized city in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Baguio City was established by Americans in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway...
. He then proceeded to acquire two masters degrees, namely: Masters in Business Administration from the Asian Institute of Management
Asian Institute of Management
The Asian Institute of Management, or simply AIM, is a graduate school of business and a center of business and management research. It is one of the few business schools in Asia to be internationally accredited with the AACSB. It was established in partnership with Harvard Business School and uses...
in 1973 and a Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
in 1994. He also took up International Defense Management Course in Monterey, California in 1983. In 1987, he graduated No. 1 in Trust Operations Management Course conducted by the Trust Institutes Foundation of the Philippines at the Ateneo Business School which eventually earned him a scholarship to the Northeastern Illinois University
Northeastern Illinois University
Northeastern Illinois University is a public state university located in Chicago, Illinois. The main campus is located in the community area of North Park with three additional campuses in the metropolitan area. Tracing its founding to 1867, it was first established as a separate branch of a...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Military career
Angelo Reyes began his military career as a team leader in the Philippine Army's 1st Special Forces Airborne Regiment1st Special Forces Airborne Regiment (Philippines)
The Special Forces Regiment is an elite Philippine Army unit established in the 1960s by Fidel V. Ramos , primarily trained in both unconventional and psychological warfare....
. He spent his field command duties as battalion commander, brigade commander, and area commander in Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
where he gained experience in addressing the threats from the communist insurgency and Muslim secessionism in the Philippines. He became the Commanding General of the Philippine Army which then propelled him to the top post of the Philippine military as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
As AFP Chief of Staff, he worked towards the vision of a modern Armed Forces of the Philippines. On January 19, 2001, the then-General Reyes withdrew support from President Joseph Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
, leading to his ouster. Reyes held the following positions in the Philippine Army and in the top brass of Armed Forces of the Philippines, garnering various military medals and citations throughout his 39-year military career until he retired in 2001:
- Team leader, Special Forces Group PA (Airborne);
- Commanding officer (CO), 4th Infantry Battalion PA, Zamboanga;
- CO, 602nd Infantry Brigade PA, Davao provinces;
- Commanding General (CG), Civil Relations Service AFP;
- Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, J2 AFP;
- CG, 5th Infantry Division PA, covering Northeastern Luzon;
- CG, Southern Command AFP, covering the whole of Mindanao;
- CG, PA; and
- Chief of Staff, AFP
Secretary of Defense
Reyes was sworn as national defense secretary two days after retiring as the AFP's 27th chief of staff. In concurrent capacity, he also chaired the National Disaster Coordinating Council. Under his leadership, he was able to imbibe a culture of excellence at the department of national defense and transformed it into a technology-driven defense establishment making it more responsive to the challenges o rapidly changing security establishment amidst the rising trend in global terrorism, He was instrumental in crafting the National Internal Security Plan which is now being implemented by the government in addressing the root causes of insurgency through poverty alleviation, delivery of basic services and empowerment of the local government.As chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, he campaigned for preservation of lives and property through individual preparedness and responsiveness. He ventured on a tri-media information campaign program dubbed “FIRST DEFENSE” which was proven effective in educating individuals and families on how to be self-reliant in times of disasters and calamities.
Reyes stepped down as defense secretary on August 29, 2003, but was later named Anti-Kidnapping Presidential Adviser on October 26, 2003, after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Executive Order Number 248 creating the Office of the Anti-Kidnapping Presidential Adviser, and subsequently, the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTF) to address the problem of kidnapping in the country. His installation as anti-kidnapping czar resulted in the neutralization of certain kidnap-for-ransom gangs.
Reyes was later appointed as the Presidential Adviser on Anti-Smuggling on March 10, 2004 by virtue of Executive Order Number 297 to orchestrate and oversee a consolidated national anti-smuggling campaign.
Throughout his career, Secretary Reyes received various awards and decorations from both the military and civilian institutions. He was a recipient of the Philippine Legion of Honor, AFP Distinguished Service Star, Military Merit Medals, Anti-Dissidence Campaign Ribbons and other Philippine military decorations. He was awarded the Order of the White Elephant by King Bhumidol of Thailand and the Order of Valor by the King of Malaysia.
As a civic leader, he was chosen as the Most Outstanding Project Chairman by the Philippine Jaycees for Project “The Youth Speaks” in 1981. That same project was later adjudged as the Most Outstanding External Affairs Project in the World during the Jaycees World Convention in Germany in 1991. In 1991, he was given the honor of being a Kabisig Awardee for his Project: Common Cause, Uncommon Zeal”. (KABISIG is a nationwide government socio-economic project in rural areas). With all these accomplishments, he was named the Most Outstanding Alumnus of the Asian Institute of Management in 1982 and Most Outstanding PMA Alumnus (Cavalier Award for Public Administration) in 2001.
Secretary of Interior and Local Government
Reyes was Philippine Secretary of Interior and Local GovernmentDepartment of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of the Interior and Local Government is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public safety, and strengthening the capabilities of local government units...
in the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
from 2004 to 2006.
Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources
Reyes was Philippine Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources in the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-ArroyoGloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
from 2006 to 2007.
Secretary of Energy
Reyes was Philippine Secretary of EnergyDepartment of Energy (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Energy , abbreviated as DOE is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for preparing, integrating, coordinating, supervising and controlling all plans, programs, projects and activities of the Government relative to energy exploration,...
in the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
from 2007 to 2010.
On January 29, 2008, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes announced that International Atomic Energy Agency
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
(IAEA) 8-man team led by Akira Omoto inspected the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant, completed but never fueled, on Bataan Peninsula, west of Manila in the Philippines. It is located on a 3.57 square kilometre government reservation at Napot Point in Morong, Bataan...
on rehabilitation prospects. The team members were Zhang Jing, IAEA section head for Asia and the Pacific; Ki Sig Tang, technical officer at the nuclear division; David Greaves and Eric Weinstein; 3 independent experts: John Rames, an expert on legal infrastructure from Australia; Jose E. Brayner, Costa Mattos, a nuclear power expert from Brazil; and Ioan Rotaru, a nuclear power expert from Romania."
As the Energy Chief, Reyes promoted, spearheaded numerous successful projects that defined, created and stabilized the country's energy supply and security. At the time when the global crude oil spiked to its record highs, Reyes did an excellent job as the energy chief by implementing various programs to assist consumers adjust to the new cost of gas and other fuels at the pump. He also re-launched the Compressed Natural Gas Program and issued the only Government Accreditation to Callandra LCNG Fuels Corporation.
Corruption allegations and death
On January 27, 2011, former Lt. Col. George Rabusa, who was budget officer when Reyes was Armed Forces chief, testified before a SenateSenate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...
panel and accused Reyes of receiving P50 million in "send-off" money when he retired from the Armed Forces, as part of a decades-old military tradition. Reyes denied receiving such funds for his own use and sought to cross-examine Rabusa, but was refused the opportunity. Reyes then did not attend subsequent hearings in both the Senate and the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
.
On the morning of February 8, 2011, Reyes, together with two of his sons and a bodyguard, visited his mother's grave at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City
Marikina City
Marikina, officially the City of Marikina, known as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines, was former capital of the province of Manila during the declaration of Philippine Independence and one of the sixteen cities within the Manila Metropolitan Area. Marikina is part of Eastern Manila District of...
. He asked his children and bodyguard to go ahead and wait for him in the car, then shot himself in the left side of the chest near the heart. He was rushed to the Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
, but was dead on arrival and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Reyes was buried on February 13, 2011 with full military honors at the Libingan ng mga Bayani
Libingan ng mga Bayani
is a national cemetery within Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, Metro Manila in the Philippines. It was established as a fitting resting place for Filipino military personnel from privates to generals, as well as heroes and martyrs...
(Heroes' Cemetery) in Taguig City
Taguig City
Taguig is a city in Metro Manila in the Philippines. From a thriving fishing community along the shores of Laguna de Bay, it is now an important residential, commercial and industrial center...
.