Jose T. Almonte

Last updated
Jose T. Almonte

OS
Brigadier General Jose T. Almonte 2014.jpg
Almonte in November 2014
Nickname(s)Joe, JoAl, JoeAl
Born (1931-11-27) November 27, 1931 (age 92)
Albay, Philippine Islands
Allegiance Flag of the Philippines.svg Republic of the Philippines
Service/branch Philippine Army
Years of service1956–1986
Rank US-O8 insignia.svg Major General
Unit Presidential Security Agency
Philippine Civic Action Group (PHILCAGV)
Commands Armed Forces of the Philippines
Battles/wars Vietnam War
Hukbalahap Rebellion
Insurgency in the Philippines
Awards Distinguished Conduct Star
Other work Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau (EIIB)
National Intelligence Coordinating Agency
National Security Advisor

Jose T. Almonte (born November 27, 1931) is a retired Filipino Army general. He was the National Security Advisor and Director-General of the National Security Council in the Cabinet of Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos. [1] He was also the head of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the Director of the Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau (EIIB) during the administration of President Corazon Aquino.

Contents

Prior to his retirement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1986, Almonte was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Relations. [1]

Early years

Jose Almonte was born to a poor family in Polangui, Albay on November 27, 1931. According to Almonte in his memoirs, he chose to pursue a career in the military as this was one of the options which allowed him to pursue free education. [2]

Military and political career

Military career

Almonte entered the Philippine Military Academy as a plebe on April 1, 1952, finishing with the Class of '56.

As a young Lieutenant, he was assigned in Gitingan in the mountains of Laguna and Quezon provinces during the waning days of the HUKBALAHAP. [3] [4] A neighboring unit then was commanded by Korean War veteran Capt. Fidel Ramos, and it was here where Lt. Almonte forged a lifelong friendship with Capt. Ramos, who later became the President of the Philippines. [1]

Almonte testifies that this was his only "field command" as he was confronted by his own troops about field mismanagement, that was led to a formal complaint up to the Company level. [3] Instead of being court-martialed for command responsibility as he requested, Almonte was sent to Fort McKinley to go through a Combat Intelligence course. He said that this incident made a profound impact on his idealism on soldiery and opened his "eyes to the realities and consequences of military mismanagement in the field." [3]

During the administration of President Diosdado Macapagal, Almonte served as the Deputy Commander of the Presidential Security Agency.

Under pressure from the American government, President Ferdinand Marcos wielded support of its campaign in the Vietnam War. Almonte was assigned in a three-man advance party along with Maj. Fidel Ramos to lay down the ground work for the arrival of the Philippine Civic Action Group (PHILCAGV).

Almonte acted as the Intelligence Officer for PHILCAGV. In this capacity, without escaping controversy and the ire of the American intelligence community in Vietnam, Almonte was able to successfully contact his counterparts in the Viet Cong. This later on built Almonte's reputation as a deep-penetration agent. [5]

Building good relations with the local Viet Cong commander in Tay Ninh Province, in the southwestern part of South Vietnam, he assured them that the PHILCAGV was in their country to help build and provide civic services and not conduct combat operations. PHILCAGV was able to keep its casualties down. Instead of the usual one-year assignment, Almonte rotated three years in Vietnam with the PHILCAGV. [3] For his gallantry in Vietnam from 1967 to 1969, he was awarded by Marcos the Distinguished Conduct Star.

Upon return to the Philippines, he was once more assigned to work in Malacañang Palace as aide-de-camp to Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor Jr. It was during this career season that Almonte along with Melchor was able to establish the diplomatic ties between the Philippines and the USSR through the help of Prof. Ajit Singh Rye of the Institute of Asian Studies in the University of the Philippines. [6] It was through Rye that Melchor andAlmonte was able to pave way for an endorsement to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for a dialogue with Moscow. Despite the Philippines being considered as the United States' strongest ally in Southeast Asia, the Marcos government saw that the US was going to lose in Vietnam, and thus the need to establish ties with the "enemy." [6] With one visit to New Delhi in 1975, Almonte met with the Soviet Ambassador, which led to a flight by Melchor and Almonte to Moscow where they were received as state guests. [6] By 1976, the Philippines and the Soviet Union formally established diplomatic relations.

Considered as one of the level-headed thinkers and strategist in the AFP, Almonte was approached by the leaders of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) during its infancy, to seek counsel and have him take as an advisor to the group. Almonte worked with Lt. Col. Victor Batac in formulating long-term strategies of the group, leading him to be considered as the "Godfather of the RAM". [7] [8]

Almonte retired from the AFP in 1986 with a rank of Major General.

Political career

Right after his retirement, President Cory Aquino called on Almonte to take charge of Operation Big Bird, the government's efforts in recovering the hidden wealth of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos in Switzerland and other offshore banking areas. When Operation Big Bird was wrapped up by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), Almonte was tasked by Aquino to head the EIIB.

From 1992 to 1998, Almonte was a key member of the Cabinet of President Fidel V. Ramos as National Security Advisor, and Director-General of the National Security Council. Despite his position, Almonte became the cabinet's point person when it comes to demonopolization.

In 1995 the Polytechnic University of the Philippines awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in Public Administration.

In 1997, the Philippines became involved in a North Korean defection episode. Hwang Jang-yop, who served as the Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly from 1972 to 1983, defected to South Korea. He initially walked into the South Korean embassy in Beijing posing as one of their diplomats. The Chinese government cordoned off the embassy, preventing the defectors from leaving, but a few weeks later a deal was brokered, and Hwang and his companion Kim Duk-hong were permitted to fly out of Beijing for a 3rd country. The Philippines was selected as a transit point before they could continue to South Korea. President Ramos tasked Almonte in ensuring the safety of the North Korean defectors. Hwang and Kim arrived in Clark Air Base, and were taken custody by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency {NICA) and brought them to a safe house in Baguio. The media soon found out, and Baguio was the center of a media frenzy. This prompted the NICA to move Hwang and Kim to another safe house near Manila. After two weeks, Hwang and Kim were turned over to the South Korean authorities, and were flown to Seoul. [9] [10]

Controversies

On February 25, 2015, Almonte launched a book entitled Endless Journey: A Memoir as told to veteran journalist Marites Dañguilan-Vitug. [11]

In the book, he recalled the late years of the regime led by Marcos and the birth of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement.

Leaders of the RAM, however, including Sen. Gregorio Honasan, then a colonel, belied Almonte's narrative in the book, which they called "dishonest and irresponsible", and "were directly in conflict with the reality at the time." [12]

Awards and citations

Bibliography

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed Forces of the Philippines</span> Military forces of the Philippines

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy. The President of the Philippines is the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP and forms military policy with the Department of National Defense, an executive department acting as the principal organ by which military policy is carried out, while the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines serves as the overall commander and the highest-ranking officer in the AFP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ninoy Aquino</span> Filipino politician (1932–1983)

Benigno "Ninoy" SimeonAquino Jr., was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac. Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aquino, who became the 11th president of the Philippines after his assassination, and father of Benigno Aquino III, who became the 15th president of the Philippines. Aquino, together with Gerardo Roxas and Jovito Salonga, helped form the leadership of the opposition towards then President Ferdinand Marcos. He was the significant leader who together with the intellectual leader Sen. Jose W. Diokno led the overall opposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malacañang Palace</span> Official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines

Malacañang Palace, officially known as Malacañan Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila district of San Miguel, along Jose P. Laurel Street though it is commonly associated with Mendiola Street nearby. The term Malacañang is often used as a metonym for the president, their advisers, and the Office of the President of the Philippines. The sprawling Malacañang Palace complex includes numerous mansions and office buildings designed and built largely in the bahay na bato and neoclassical styles. Among the presidents of the present Fifth Republic, only Gloria Macapagal Arroyo actually lived in the main palace as both her office and her residence, with all others residing in nearby properties that form part of the larger palace complex. The palace has been seized several times as a result of protests starting with the People Power Revolution of 1986, the 1989 coup attempt, the 2001 Manila riots, and the EDSA III riots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People Power Revolution</span> Series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines in 1986 that overthrew Ferdinand Marcos

The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of civil resistance against regime violence and electoral fraud. The nonviolent revolution led to the departure of Ferdinand Marcos, the end of his 20-year dictatorship and the restoration of democracy in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fidel V. Ramos</span> President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998

Fidel Valdez Ramos, popularly known as FVR, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer, who reached the rank of five-star general/admiral de jure. Rising from second lieutenant to commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Ramos is credited for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy during his six years in office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabian Ver</span> Filipino general

Fabian Crisologo Ver was a Filipino military officer who served as the Commanding Officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan Ponce Enrile</span> President of the Senate of the Philippines from 2008 to 2013

Juan Valentin Furagganan Ponce Enrile Sr.,, also referred to by his initials JPE, is a Filipino politician and lawyer who served as 21st President of the Senate of the Philippines from 2008 to 2013 and known for his role in the administration of Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos; his role in the failed coup that helped hasten the 1986 People Power Revolution and the ouster of Marcos; and his tenure in the Philippine legislature in the years after the revolution. Enrile has served four terms in the Senate, in a total of twenty-two years, he holds the third longest-tenure in the history of the upper chamber. In 2022, at the age of 98, he returned to government office as the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel in the administration of President Bongbong Marcos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Intelligence Coordinating Agency</span> Primary intelligence gathering and analysis arm of the Philippine government

The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) is the primary intelligence gathering and analysis arm of the Government of the Philippines in charge of carrying out overt, covert, and clandestine intelligence activities. The NICA directs, coordinates, and integrates all intelligence activities, both foreign and domestic, concerning national security, serving as the leading intelligence collector of the national government, focusing on the country's strategic intelligence requirements. It is mandated to prepare intelligence estimate on local and foreign situation for the formulation of national security policies by the President and the National Security Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jose Dalisay Jr.</span> Filipino writer

Jose Y. Dalisay Jr. is a Filipino writer. He has won numerous awards and prizes for fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction and screenwriting, including 16 Palanca Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proclamation No. 1081</span> 1972 declaration of martial law by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos

Proclamation No. 1081 was the document which contained formal proclamation of martial law in the Philippines by President Ferdinand Marcos, as announced to the public on September 23, 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Philippines (1965–1986)</span>

The history of the Philippines, from 1965 to 1986, covers the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos. The Marcos era includes the final years of the Third Republic (1965–1972), the Philippines under martial law (1972–1981), and the majority of the Fourth Republic (1981–1986). By the end of the Marcos dictatorial era, the country was experiencing a debt crisis, extreme poverty, and severe underemployment.

The Reform the Armed Forces Movement, also referred to by the acronym RAM, was a cabal of officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) known for several attempts to seize power in the Philippines during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, some of these officers launched a failed coup d'état against Ferdinand Marcos, prompting a large number of civilians to attempt to prevent Marcos from wiping the RAM rebels out. This eventually snowballed into the 1986 People Power revolution which ended the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and forced him into exile. RAM later attempted six coups d'état against the administration of Corazon Aquino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inauguration of Benigno Aquino III</span> Presidential inauguration of Benigno Aquino III as the 15th president of the Philippines

The inauguration of Benigno S. Aquino III as the fifteenth president of the Philippines took place on Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. The oath of office was administered by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Conchita Carpio-Morales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marites D. Vitug</span> Filipina journalist and author

Marites Javier Dañguilan Vitug is a Filipina journalist and author who co-founded the news magazine Newsbreak. She was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University from 1986 to 1987.

Reynaldo Arce Mendoza was a Philippine Army brigadier general. He was a member of the class of 1940, the author of the Alma Mater song "PMA, Oh Hail to Thee," and former Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). He was also the former Chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) and President of the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP). During his military service, Mendoza had received several awards and decorations including three Distinguished Service Stars and Presidential Unit Citations from the Philippines, the United States, and the Republic of Korea. He was also recipient of the Ulchi Distinguished Military Service Medal and the Korean War Hero Medal for his command of the 2nd Battalion Combat Team (BCT) of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK).

The alleged September 22, 1972, ambush attack on the then-Defense Minister of the Philippines Juan Ponce Enrile is a disputed incident in which Enrile's white Mercedes-Benz sedan was ambushed near the upscale Wack Wack village in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. It was cited by President Ferdinand Marcos as the proximate incident which led to the announcement of Marcos' declaration of martial law the following day, although Marcos would later claim that he signed the formal proclamation of martial law on September 21, the day before the Enrile ambush.

The military history of the Philippines during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, especially the 14-year period between Marcos' proclamation of Martial Law in September 1972 and his eventual ouster through the People Power Revolution of 1986, was characterized by rapid changes linked to Marcos' use of the military as his "martial law implementor".

The February 1986 Reform the Armed Forces Movement coup was set in motion by the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) under the leadership of Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile to depose then-president Ferdinand Marcos, but was discovered and aborted in its earliest stages on February 22, 1986. The coup's intent was to take advantage of the public disruption arising from revelations of cheating during the 1986 Philippine presidential election, and replace Marcos with a military junta which would include Enrile, Philippine Constabulary Chief Fidel V. Ramos, then-Presidential Candidate Corazon Aquino, and Roman Catholic Cardinal Jaime Sin, among others, which Enrile and the RAM Colonels would control from behind the scenes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolando Abadilla</span> Filipino politician and military officer (died 1996)

Rolando “Rolly” Abadilla was a Filipino politician and Philippine Constabulary (PC) officer best known for heading the PC Metropolitan Command's Intelligence and Security Group under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, which became notorious for numerous documented human rights abuses.

References

  1. 1 2 3 The political education of General Jose Almonte Archived 2010-06-09 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ Vitug, Marites; Almonte, Jose (2015). Endless Journey : A Memoir. Cleverheads Publishing. ISBN   978-9719518938.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Gen. Jose Almonte: What I Did in the 1986 People Power Revolution; Philippine Daily Inquirer February 2006". Archived from the original on 2010-06-19. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
  4. ↑ Putting Our House in Order
  5. ↑ Soul of the Ramos presidency Archived 2010-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
  6. 1 2 3 The unseen Indian hand in Manila's Moscow diplomacy, Nerve; 21 August 2006
  7. ↑ Victor Corpus and Jose Almonte: The righteous spies
  8. ↑ Day One
  9. ↑ Sullivan, Kevin (March 19, 1997). "N. Korean Defector Leaves Beijing for Philippines". Washington Post. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  10. ↑ Mydans, Seth (24 March 1997). "A Very Important Korean Playing Hide-and-Seek". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  11. ↑ "Gringo plotted to kill Marcos – Almonte". Rappler. 24 February 2015.
  12. ↑ "Almonte's memoirs: 'Endless concoctions'". 8 March 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.