Ex-RAM leader Bibit dies

MANILA, Philippines - After more than three years in a coma, former Constabulary colonel Billy Bibit passed away Sunday evening at the Veterans Medical Center in Quezon City.

Bibit is one of the key founders of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) and one of the officers who led the military revolt against the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

He also played a key role in the downfall of former President Joseph Estrada.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1971, Bibit lived a colorful military life. He fought against communist insurgents in Luzon and took an active role against the Muslim rebels in Mindanao.

Through all this, the controversial former military man was discreetly fighting the Marcos and Estrada regime, and later the Arroyo government.

After Estrada’s downfall, President Arroyo assigned Bibit as chief customs collector in Cebu, a post he later lost.

While maintaining good relations with the government, Bibit, who never lost his ties with friends and allies in the military, once again involved himself in revolutionary work.

While at the forefront of reform efforts being advocated by military rightists against the Arroyo government, Bibit suffered a stroke and fell into a coma.

Initially confined at the St. Luke’s Hospital, he showed signs of recovery but this did not last.

He was moved to the Veterans Medical Center.

No benefits from BOC

Meanwhile, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Napoleon Morales yesterday expressed his condolences to the Bibit’s family but maintained that his former colleague is not entitled to any benefits.

“I checked with our administration officer and it seemed that he was not entitled to receive benefits because he only served, if I am not mistaken, for about five years. To receive any benefit, he should have at least worked for the bureau for 15 years.”

Bibit was dismissed from the agency in 2005 because he was not a Career Executive Service Officer (CESO).

He had also been suspended even though he had already been dismissed from the service, Morales just three months ago implemented the suspension order of the Office of the Ombudsman against Bibit that stemmed from a four-year-old case.

But Morales was quick to add that his suspension is no longer valid because of his death.

The Customs commissioner earlier said that the suspension order against Bibit, Customs examiner and appraiser Eunice Aguilar, and Risk Management Group (RMG) head Intelligence Officer 1 Troy Tan took effect on July 17.

In the decision issued by the Office of the Ombudsman, the three BOC officials were allegedly found guilty of inefficiency and incompetence in the performance of their duties. They were administratively charged for oppression and other related offenses and meted with the penalty of suspension for a period of six months and one day.

In its March 16, 2006 decision, the Anti-Graft Court reportedly found substantive evidence proving that the respondents in their respective official capacities caused the wrongful and unjustifiable seizure of the shipment of complainant Selpha Trinidad consisting of 600 metric tons of Canadian wheat in 2005.

– With Evelyn Macairan