Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Philippines Defense Forces Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Vice admiral criticizes solon
Topic Started: May 10 2008, 12:17 PM (1,914 Views)
victor
Member
[ *  *  * ]
Upon retirement, vice admiral criticizes solon
May 09, 2008 23:27:00
Nikko Dizon
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines--Navy Vice Admiral Amable Tolentino retired on Friday and savored his freedom to speak as a civilian by getting back at Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. who criticized him for admitting the Navy's inferiority to its foreign counterparts.

"This is my retirement day, Mr. Locsin. In a little while, I will terminate my military service. In a little while I will be a free man. This is my independence day and I intend to exercise my freedom of speech by saying you do not deserve the respect of our soldiers and the officer corps," Tolentino said in his speech before the troops at the Navy headquarters in Manila.

Tolentino added that the AFP's officers and men did not deserve Locsin's "mockery."

"I told the truth when I told the people about the inferior capability of our Navy as compared to our neighboring countries. As Senator [Rodolfo] Biazon said, this is public knowledge. Telling the truth was never a sin, Mr. Locsin," Tolentino said.

Biazon was a Philippine Marine officer who became an Armed Forces chief of staff.

Aside from admitting the Navy's inferior capability, especially compared to the Chinese military's, Tolentino had said that diplomacy was better than going to war. He made the statement at the height of the controversy over the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU).

The JMSU is a tripartite agreement among the state oil companies of the Philippines, China and Vietnam to jointly search for oil and gas in the disputed Spratly Islands.

But Locsin said Tolentino, as a high Navy officer, had made an "irresponsible statement."

Tolentino is a 1974 Philippine Military Academy graduate, and a classmate of outgoing Armed Forces Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. and Navy Flag Officer in Command Rogelio Calunsag.

Address Spratly Island to KALAYAAN ISLANDS, South China Sea to WESTERN PHILIPPINE SEA or Kanlurang Dagat ng Pilipinas.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
spraret
Member Avatar
PDFF Admin Support
PDFF Admin Group
Quote:
 
Aside from admitting the Navy's inferior capability, especially compared to the Chinese military's, Tolentino had said that diplomacy was better than going to war. He made the statement at the height of the controversy over the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU).


Adm. Tolentino was just being honest and practical - there's just no use saber rattling against a country with a much much more powerful navy than ours. Diplomacy is always the practical choice for countries who wield small sticks.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
spellspinner
Member Avatar
Member
[ *  *  * ]


Diplomacy also means knowing when to be quiet, though. Sabre rattling is not a good idea, even if we had the weapons to back them up. The point here is, he should have opted to remain silent about or in-capabilities. It is not in the place of the Navy vice-admiral to reveal our weaknesses to the world.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
pachador


General Esperon also sabre rattled, if you want to put it that way, when he said we will fight hand to hand in the spratlys.

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Zero wing
Member Avatar
ZAFT Sepcial Forces Operative for SEA
[ *  *  * ]
Well i think its ok and totoo na man pero dapat since alam na man ng lahat na mahina ng Navy they should do someting about it and try to improve every thing as they can kasi mura na man ng missile system and missiles in general and kaya na man hock up sa ships natin i think of just fighting with words take some action about it kasi kung salita lng sila lng salita wala rin right so plz for Congress men and officals in governement take some action on the modernization program and look at it in big picture that peace is good but a respected nation is better :patrioticpinoy:
"No sacrifice is too great in the service of freedom."

“As long as we are not willing to provide an adequate, suitable and capable defense for this country, we will be oppressed, demeaned and dishonored. We will be the stepping mat of every country in this region,”(Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile)

“Just because we are a very weak country militarily, we should not be taken advantage of by more powerful countries" (Senate committee on national defense and security chairman Panfilo Lacson)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
pachador


Zero wing
May 11 2008, 12:56 AM
Well i think its ok and totoo na man pero dapat since alam na man ng lahat na mahina ng Navy they should do someting about it and try to improve every thing as they can kasi mura na man ng missile system and missiles in general and kaya na man hock up sa ships natin i think of just fighting with words take some action about it kasi kung salita lng sila lng salita wala rin right so plz for Congress men and officals in governement take some action on the modernization program and look at it in big picture that peace is good but a respected nation is better :patrioticpinoy:

i agree that peace is the best and being respected is also best. we cannot be respected if we are weak. the problem has always been the senators and congress who does not allocate enough money for the AFP
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
spraret
Member Avatar
PDFF Admin Support
PDFF Admin Group
pachador
May 11 2008, 12:18 AM
General Esperon also sabre rattled, if you want to put it that way, when he said we will fight hand to hand in the spratlys.

I missed that one. :armysmile:

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
adrian_yamato
Member Avatar
Member
[ *  *  * ]
What Vice Admiral Tolentino said is true, Negotiation/Diplomacy is Better, But , we should Built up our Armed Forces for good, so when if Negotiation fails: "HINDI PUDPOD NA SABLE ANG HAWAK NATIN" :salute:
"There's only one Government, one Armed Forces, one Contitution, & one Filipino people"

-word of then Gen. Angelo T. Reyes during the Mindanao war against the MILF & Abu Sayaff-

"The Army is like a cooked Spaggetti, You can't push it, you have to pull it after you"

-Gen George S. Patton-
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
strikeeagle
Member
[ *  *  * ]
Negotiation and Diplomacy is good , but it should be back up by a strong political will and a strong military. We should always have an ace in our sleeves when negotiating.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
didu
Member
[ *  *  * ]
spraret
May 10 2008, 05:17 PM

Adm. Tolentino was just being honest and practical - there's just no use saber rattling against a country with a much much more powerful navy than ours. Diplomacy is always the practical choice for countries who wield small sticks.

Sir, as what Teddy Roosevelt said, even when we carry a big stick we should still talk softly. :armysmile:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Philippine Navy · Next Topic »
Add Reply