At AFP’S Commel office: Tattered Phl flag flying at its pole

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Believe it or not, but a Philippine flag outside the Communications and Electronics Office of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, based at San Jose district in this city, is seen in public view seriously damaged and tattered as it flutters at the top of the flagpole.

The sorry condition of the flag, which was supposed to be the honor and pride of the Filipino soldiers, caught offhand a group of reporters who passed the Commel office yesterday.

Leyte Police provincial director, Senior Superintendent Franco Simborio was also surprised upon seeing the tattered flag on the pole, but he refused to give his comment to the reporters, saying only that it has been there for quite some time.

A Philippine Navy personnel, who requested not to be named but was there at the site when the reporters were taking photos of the tattered flag, said he could not remember any time when the personnel of Commel conducted a flag ceremony during Mondays, as mandated military practice.

A uniformed man, apparently a personnel of Commel, who was about to enter the building angrily accosted the reporters and told them to stop taking pictures of the flag because they have no permission to do so.

Tabontabon town Councilor Nestor Abrematea, also a journalist and Visayas’ vice-president of the Publishers Association of the Philippines, told the man the Commel officials violated the Heraldic Code of the Philippines. This caused the angry man to calm down and told the reporters Commel already bought a new flag to replace the damaged one.

There was no way for the reporters to know who the commanding officer of Commel was. They were barred from entering the building and nobody would give any information about the office and its officials.

Colonel Rodrigo Illustricisimo, chief of the Military Affairs Office of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division, based in Catbalogan City, in a phone interview told The Freeman he was surprised to learn of the tattered flag still flown at a military unit.

“The soldiers should be the example of patriotism, and should be disciplined to lead others in respecting and honoring the Philippine flag,” he said.

Illustricisimo later said he already ordered an 8th ID official to go to Commel headquarters in Tacloban to fix the problem. He however did not comment if there would be any sanction to be imposed against the Commel officials for this violation of the law. —photo by Miriam G. Desacada (FREEMAN)