Angelo Tomas-Reyes (March 17, 1945 - February 8, 2011)

I maybe a bit late on posting my sentiments regarding the tragic and unexpected death of General T. Angelo Reyes yesterday. But just like what I did during the acquittal of Hubert Webb and the gang, I opted not to immediately post my opinion. I feared that I will be biased, losing my objectivity brought by my emotion on the issue if I immediately voiced out my thoughts.

So much for my excuse.

Angelo Reyes left us without a warning. He departed us with unanswered questions. He left us hanging with the unfinished puzzle. Who knows? He may be holding the missing piece. Or he may be possessing the vital information that would forever change the course of our history. Or worse, despite being accused of being oe of the perpetrators of the dar trail of corruption in the militaryhe might be the holding the only beacon of light to lead this country in the dawn of a new era.

But he committed suicide. He shot himself in the chest, bringing the secrets with him six feet under the ground.

Or did he really bring the secret to the grave? Did he write a farewell letter before shooting himself? Did he tell anyone - any member of his family perhaps - about the real score on the alleged corruption in the military? Or if anyone shares the same information, he might as well not tell the whole story for us to know. But for now, we can only just speculate.

To be honest, the first thought that entered my mind earlier yesterday, just immediately after the news broke out, was Angie Reyes must have been really guilty of the crime for a real innocent person will fight for his innocence and the truth until the very end.

But let us always remember that a person is innocent until proven guilty. That’s a very basic principle of the law.

And let us remember that Angelo Reyes is a soldier. He is a top-notched official of the Armed Forces. He was once the Armed Forces Chief of Staff.

Perhaps he was just being a soldier during the very last moment of his life, sacrificing himself for his comrades in the battlefield. Or just following the order from the officials higher than him.

Or just protecting the Big Fish.

And whoever that big fish is, we don’t know.

Again, we can only just speculate.

Most of us are just being swayed by our emotions. If someone stands up accusing someone of graft and corruption, we immediately show our support to the whistle blower. We immediately criticize the accused. We go for the superhero and curse the villain. That’s a natural reaction, a product of our natural tendency to go for the good and go against the evil.

But what if the accused are the real victims? What if there is someone out there, someone big and powerful, who is causing this stir for us to be confused? As cliche as it sounds, what if there is someone who is the real master of puppets who manipulates us all, who twists the truth, and who makes the public baffled and confused?

Going back to Angie, what if he is also a victim? What if he is a part of the big plan of that someone up there, someone who control these strings?

I must be over-thinking. But metaphysically speaking, thinkability means possibility.

Angelo Reyes is dead. He cannot defend himself anymore nor pinpoint the real perpetrators of this mess. He brought his secret with him to the grave and, just maybe, it’s lost forever.

Is he a hero or a villain? Some would consider him as a villain. Some will consider him as one of the worst generals of the Armed Forces. While some - especially the creators of the Facebook “Like Pages” that I saw, would consider jim a hero, a martyr, a victim.

Is he a hero or a villain? I don’t know. I don’t have any supporting evidences to prove it. But I just know that he is a soldier, a general, a leader, and most importantly, a husband, a father, and a Lolo.

Rest in peace General Angelo Tomas-Reyes. You have played a vital role in Philippine history. You will be remembered.