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| ANGELO REYES |
Angelo Reyes (March 17, 1945– February 8, 2011) 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.
On January 27, 2011, former Lt. Col. George Rabusa, who was budget officer when Reyes was Armed Forces chief, testified before a Senate 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.
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| Angelo Reyes (Center) with Orly Mercado (Wearing Black) |
It was January 19, 2001, Live on Philippine Television when the current Chief of Staff of former President Joseph Estrada turned his back and joined the People Power 2. I was one of the participant of the uprising but was home to replenish my energies. The night before these happened, we were assigned as Intel operatives to protect our comrades from Bagong Alayansang Makabayan.
During this time, I was employed as Attendance Clerk to The Human Resource Department of the House of Representative.
For us who started the EDSA Dos, It was a teary moment when General Angelo Reyes defected. It only meant that we all won for a new administration.
