EDITORIAL – Grievance mechanism

That disgruntled Air Force officer was not calling for a coup; he was denouncing what he said were unauthorized allowances given to top officials of the Philippine Air Force. The PAF denied the accusation yesterday and prepared to give the officer, Col. Efren Daquil, appropriate punishment.

Perhaps Daquil is telling the truth; perhaps he is just another trouble-making malcontent who needs to be disciplined or weeded out of the service. Yesterday he presented himself to his superiors for questioning. Whatever the results of the investigation, his case is a reminder that there can be no letup in efforts to implement reforms in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Those reforms have been undertaken in earnest for about two years now. Daquil’s case should provide additional impetus to put in place an effective grievance mechanism in the AFP that will allow soldiers at all levels to express their complaints without triggering fresh coup rumors.

Even the richest and most powerful armies in the world have unhappy soldiers. But when they air their complaints, it is not interpreted as part of a plan to destabilize or topple their government. It would be unfortunate if every grievance aired in public by members of the AFP, especially against their superior officers, will be seen as political dissent.

There are many sources of dissatisfaction within the AFP. The Philippine soldier is poorly paid and lacks basic equipment even for non-combat operations. Poor equipment can be lethal for an army tasked to fight communist rebels, Muslim separatists and Islamist terrorists.

These problems are aggravated by corruption. As the case of retired Army comptroller Carlos Garcia has shown, disgruntled military officers are not merely imagining serious corruption in the AFP. When military officers complain about the problem, it should be seen as a positive sign that there are soldiers who want reforms in their organization.

How to allow soldiers to express their disgruntlement without being seen as coup plotters should be a priority of those overseeing the AFP reform program. Any grievance mechanism should guarantee quick action on valid complaints. Without that kind of action, unhappy officers become vulnerable to recruitment by coup-plotting malcontents.