MANILA
Former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Angelo Reyes was declared dead at 8:32 AM on 8 February 2011 (Tuesday) after he shot himself hours earlier at his mother's tomb at the Loyola Memorial Center (LMC) in Marikina. Doctors at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) in Quezon City said that Reyes sustained a self-inflicted gun-shot wound in his left-side chest.
The tragedy came at the heel of a subpoena that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, that Senator Teofisto Guingona chaired, will be issued against him after he snubbed repeatedly the invitations of the committee to appear before it. Four members of the committee--Jinggoy Estrada, Francis Escudero, Miriam Defensor Santiago, and Antonio Trillanes IV--poised to cite him in contempt after he moved for their inhibition in the Senate inquiry and for saying he could not recall receiving money from then budget officer Rabusa.
Former J6 budget officer George Rabusa testified in the committee inquiry that Reyes received at least P50 million in takehome and other personal benefits, not authorized by law, when he was still chief of the military.
Reyes was chief of staff of AFP under deposed president Joseph Estrada. He was intrumental in the event when he withdrew support of Estrada at the height of the uprising in 2001. He became secretary of defense under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo until 2003. Arroyo appointed him secretary of the interior and local government in 2004 until she transferred him secretary of the environment and natural resources in 2006. He succeeded Raphael Lotilla as secretary of energy in 2007 until he resigned in 2010 when the Aquino government received the mandate of the Filipinos.
Sources
Jonathan de Santos: "Ex-defense chief confirmed dead," SunStar Network Exchange 8 February 2011
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