7days lng daw kc ehh...

Inquirer: March 13,2006
INFANTA Bishop Julio Xavier Labayen (left) celebrates Mass for sacked Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim (second from right) in his custodial house in Fort Bonifacio. With them are lawyer Fred Bentulan, Jose Albert, Hero Vaswani of the Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya, Lim’s wife Aloy and daughter Aika. CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA

2 bishops back sacked Army general
by: Christian V. Esguerra

FRIENDS AND PRELATES HAVE JOINED comrades-in-arms of Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim in expressing support for the commander of the Scout Ranger regiment who was sacked in the wake of a failed attempt to unseat President Macapagal-Arroyo.

Since the eve of the alleged plot to oust Ms Arroyo on Feb. 24, Lim has been confined to a modest two-story house in the Fort Bonifacio area for military officers, where he has been receiving a steady stream of visitors.

On Sunday, two outspoken bishops--Julio Xavier Labayen and Antonio Tobias--were among several dozen people who attended Mass in the small sala of Lim's quarters, and later had lunch of grilled pork, tilapia and other native dishes in his narrow patio adorned with orchids.

On Saturday, fellow graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point dropped by at lunch.

"I'm overwhelmed," Lim told the Inquirer. "This means a lot to me and my family, to be visited by the bishops and get their support."

The 50-year-old Lim found an instant fan in Labayen, who had a lengthy conversation with the general before celebrating Mass at around 11:30 a.m.

Conscience

"I sensed that it's not so much about his career. What's more important to him was his conscience, especially his patriotism," Labayen, bishop emeritus of Infanta (Quezon), told the Inquirer.

"If I think only about myself, then I don't have to think about anything else because I can go up (the career ladder) and have a secure life. But the thing is, it's not only about me--it's about achieving genuine peace in our motherland," Labayen quoted Lim as telling him.

"So, how can we not believe a person like him?" Labayen said. "This is not anymore just about his personal security. It is his conscience that is telling him, in the light of the Good News, that we have to work for the nation and for peace in the world."

Labayen said his talk with Lim dashed his image of the military, shaped during the martial law rule of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, as the "enemy of the people."

Third dimension

"I realized that we have so many good officers out there," added Labayen, who said he was called "a communist, a Marxist," during the Marcos regime. "Like today, the mentality is 'If you're not with us, you're against us.' They forget that there's a third dimension, that there is God."

Lim, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, began his military career as a platoon leader of the All-Igorot Forward Reconnaissance Unit based in Jolo, battling Moro insurgents in the late 1970s.

He shot to national prominence ironically in the occupation by rebel soldiers of Makati City's commercial district during the Dec. 1-7, 1989 coup attempt against then President Corazon Aquino.

Lim led the defeated soldiers back to barracks in the wake of the bloodiest military uprising against Aquino.

Still, Lim's stock grew. He received his star rank in April 2005, becoming one of the youngest officers to make general.

'Destabilizers'

Armed Forces officials claimed Lim had planned to lead disgruntled military elements in withdrawing support from Ms Arroyo and marching to Edsa on Feb. 24 in a failed bid to replicate the "people power" revolutions. The march was to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Edsa I.

Politicians, priests, business leaders and bishops were allegedly involved in the plot.

Lim denied he had attempted to overthrow Ms Arroyo. "No, I'm not aware of any coup," he told the Inquirer. He declined to elaborate.

Labayen said he didn't mind if Ms Arroyo's allies read malice in the bishops' visit and tag the prelates as "destabilizers," like Lim.

The prelate said he was aware that the administration had accused even members of the Catholic hierarchy of involvement in the alleged coup plot.

Church teaching

In his homily, Labayen said the Church's teaching on achieving peace through truth and justice was especially relevant amid the political crisis triggered by Ms Arroyo's alleged cheating in 2004.

"Today, there is confusion because the President is concealing the truth, putting it aside, trampling on it," he said. "The people don't want anything but the truth."

Labayen was accompanied by Franciscan Sr. Agneta Lauzon and Jose Albert, Hero Vaswani and lawyer Fred Bentulan of the Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya, a self-proclaimed nationalist movement.

Wearing a white shirt and black slacks, Lim appeared calm and composed during his conversation with Labayen and throughout the Mass. Later at lunch, Lim was more at ease, visibly entertained by his guests' jokes.