On February 2001, the Philippine Navy (and the Armed Forces of thePhilippines) was rocked by a leadership crisis when the Philippine Marines (PMAR)demanded the relief of the Flag-Officer-In-Command, Rear Admiral Guillermo Wong (Pazzibugan, 2001).
The crisis was triggered by the berating of the Marines by RAdm Wong for alleged irregularities in the procurement of P3.8 million worth of KevlarHelmets (Pablo, 2001). In the events that followed, the Marines prevailed and RAdm Wong was stripped of his command and was ‘promoted’ to an ambassadorial post.
The crisis, while it was eventually resolved peacefully, exposed a previously unseen face of the Navy—the face of CORRUPTION.
