MANILA, Philippines - The suicide of former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Angelo Reyes is meaningless if it fails to lead to the cleansing of the country's Armed Forces, a group of former top officials said Friday.

In a statement, the Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO) said Reyes' suicide after he was implicated in military corruption will be without honor if it has no impact on the welfare of the nation, the AFP and the government.

"For whom did Gen. Reyes die? If he died to escape the consequences of his involvement, or to put a lid on further revelations, or worse, to become a sacrificial lamb for all others more tainted than he, his was not an honourable death. The smug faces of unpunished corruption that visited his wake only further dishonor him," the FSGO said.

"If, on the other hand, his death inspires our leaders to finally clean up the corrupt system in the military that ensnared him, he might yet be the last soldier to die in our people’s war against corruption," it added.

The group said that while Reyes killed himself "in truth, corruption killed him."

"The death of Gen. Reyes reminds us that corruption kills. Most often, it kills poor Filipinos with hunger, disease, disaster or crime because the money meant to help or protect them was stolen. It kills soldiers whose bullets ran out, whose guns fail, whose trucks ran out of gasoline, whose aircraft crashed due to poor maintenance, all because someone stole the money for their needs. Sometime, corruption kills those that partake of its evil fruit," the FSGO said.

The FSGO said Reyes' death was a tragedy, not just to himself, but to his family and many others who believed and admired him for his personal, professional and public life.

The group said death "should not be wished upon anyone, not even the Garcias, the Ligots, and other alleged recipients of military graft, or even their alleged real protectors. That would be unchristian."

"But perhaps these lost souls in the people’s war against corruption should be reminded that moral death is as tragic as physical death. And the suffering will be much longer."

The FSGO said congressional probes into military corruption should continue despite calls from some sectors that the investigation be halted.

It noted that Reyes's suicide should not be blamed on lawmakers no matter how hurtful their statements may have been since inquiries serve a vital function in exposing high level corruption in government.

The group urged Commodore Rex Robles and others who have knowledge about military corruption to pay their respects to Reyes by coming out with the truth. "Truth telling is the responsibility of everyone who knows the truth," it said.

It said former military budget officer George Rabusa and former state auditor Heidi Mendoza are heroes in the war against corruption who should not be ashamed about the tragedy.

The FSGO also reiterated calls for the removal of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for being a stumbling block to efforts to stamp out corruption. The group said there is nothing partisan about the Filipino people's nearly universal desire to have a new beginning in the Office of the Ombudsman.

"The whole nation wants its government to move along the tuwid na daan and this incumbent Ombudsman is one of the biggest boulders on their way. Everybody wants this boulder out. She no longer has any excuse for trying to stay," the group said.