by Victor Reyes
Wives of military officers implicated in the alleged attempt to grab power in February 2007 are complaining against the lack of conjugal visits to their husbands who are detained at a facility at the Intelligence Service of the AFP inside Camp Aguinaldo.
The complaints were relayed to the media by Gina de Venecia, wife of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, who had a dialogue with the accused officers inside Isafp. She was with a group of Commission on Human Rights officials led by Commissioner Wilhelm Soriano.
She said her visit, timed for Women’s Day, was prompted by the soldiers’ wives asking for her help.
Maria Flor Querubin, wife of accused Marine Col. Ariel Querubin, confirmed that conjugal visits were indeed limited since her husband and his co-accused were transferred from Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal to the Isafp facility last Feb. 6. She said access to their husbands was further curtailed by the military’s declaration of red alert from Feb. 15 to 18 and from Feb. 22 to March 1 when no visits are allowed.
Querubin said Isafp lacks rooms for conjugal visits. The military said there used to be two but one was converted into a cell for one of the female accused, 1Lt. Belinda Ferrer.
AFP public information office chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said conjugal visitation rights have only been limited because there is only one room now available. He said wives now have to apply for conjugal visits of two days and two nights five days before the actual visit for “purposes of scheduling.”
Bacarro also belied allegations that jail conditions at Isafp are poor. “Our facility has been certified compliant with international standards set by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Commission on Human Rights. So this would clear (allegations) that our detention facility is a bartolina,” he said.
Querubin said that the point was her husband and the other accused are not supposed to be at Isafp. Of the 28 officers led by former Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and former Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim implicated in case, 24 are detained at Isafp.
“We do not know why they were brought here, this is not a custodial center. They are supposed to be in a custodial center or confined to barracks but not in a prison cell. That (Isafp) cell was not made for a long period of detention. That’s one of the reasons why we have no conjugal visits,” she said.
She said the detained officers are not saying anything. “They can bear the situation, they can suffer there (but) what they want to say is they are not supposed to be there. We (wives) are the ones suffering because we are not used to it,” she said.
Bacarro said a basketball court will be constructed inside Isafp for use of the detained officers and for their sunning privileges.
Why indeed, are they being subjected to punishment when they have not been convicted. I understand the charge of conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman has already prescribed, and therefore, dropped.
Mukha talagang malaki ang takot ni Arroyo at ni Esperon dito sa mga marangal na sundalong ito. They are being suspected of recruiting for a coup against GMA.
Ang galing naman nila. Nakakulong na nga sa ISAFP, nakapag-recruit pa sa labas.
For sunning pala yung basketball court. Akala ko, pang-conjugal visits, yun ang malufet. Akala ko tuloy si Bacarro e bosero!
Peeping Tom siguro ang mga ISAFP agents. Maraming spy camera sa loob ng selda. Pati conjugal visits naka-monitor. P*ste!
Sa mga nabasa ko, kahit panahon ni Marcos ay hindi ginawa iyang paninilip sa conjugal visits. Twisted talaga itong si Asspweron!
Querubin for me is one of the best here in our country, with his medal of valor nakakaawang tignan na yun sinacrifice nya eh mapupunta lang sa kulungan.
Also I admire yun ganun porma ng mga militar yun kinakatakutan talaga.
Baka naman concerned lang si Bacarro na may lalabas sa You Tube na “conjugal visit scandal” diyan sa ISAFP. Did you guys say spy cameras? I am only guessing, anong malay natin baka marami na sa mga agents ang sumakit ang kuwan dahil sa ka…
Querubin is a modern katipunero! He will have his chance to fight in a battle against the Evil empire of Gloria Arroyo! Ang lahat ay may katapusan, paalala lang sa mga tiwaling pulis at sundalo ni President Evil Bitch Arroyo!
Kayo naman, di na kayo nanibago sa pamumuno ni Gloria in cahoots with the AFP. Siyempre limitado na ang mga conjugal visits kasi takot ang palasyo at ang AFP na baka mabuntis ang mga asawa at manganak na may hawak na baril at armband ng Magdalo at dumiretso sa Makati o sa Palasyo para mag-coup d’ etat. Takot lang ng mga yun, no? 😀
Never in the history of the AFP did we have a MUCH HATED CHEAT OF STAFF whose main job was to CHEAT for the COMMANDER IN CHEAT and be a LOYAL BODYGUARD and LAPDOG! Instead of listening to his erring men, he threw them in jail. Bilib talaga ako sa apog ng MANDURUGAS na asspweron. His sense of leadership comes from his ASS. It sucks!
To the incarcerated officers, be patient. You will have your time to RIGHT the WRONG. When the tide turns, you will have the last HURRAY!
Asspweron is a disgrace to the force! No matter what pronouncement he makes, TUTANG TUTA and dating!
I hope that the Human Rights agencies will be able to help these incarcerated officers and their families in seeking a more habitable place for them.
I wonder if asspweron sleeps well at night! Or maybe he does because he does not have a soul. He just have a BIG ASS and a BIG MOUTH!
@ parasabayan,
huwag ka namang ganyan kay Esperon. kahit papano, tao rin yun. ang mga hayup nga nirerespeto. irespeto mo rin ang mama kahit papano. isa pa, pareho rin yun ni jun lozada — whistleblower. basahin mo muna ito tapos balik ka dito sa blog ni ellen:
http://philippinepage.blogspot.com/2008/03/esperon-squealer.html
I am a wife of one of the marine officers incarcerated inside ISAFP detention cell.
“Bacarro also belied allegations that jail conditions at Isafp are poor. “Our facility has been certified compliant with international standards set by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Commission on Human Rights. So this would clear (allegations) that our detention facility is a bartolina,” he said.”
It is not true that the cell has passed international standards and was approved by CHR because according to Commissioner Wilhelm Soriano in the news last night (Friday March 7)the detention cell is not fit for long duration incarceration.
Commissioner Basas, a doctor who visited with Commissioner Soriano yesterday said that the result of their investigation is not yet done so how can Bacarro say that it been certified compliant by CHR?
The facility does not even have a sink where we can wash dishes. We have to squat and wash the dishes in a faucet one foot from the ground with open drainage.
The detention cells were really intended for solitary confinement, however, our husbands wont allow themselves to be locked up inside the cells that is the reason why they can move around.
But on the first day when they were just brought down from Tanay on Feb 6, 2008, Gen Miranda was locked up in his cell.
There is only one conjugal room available inside the facility which has to be shared by the 27 male prisoners inside ISAFP – 23 male prisoners from Tanay and 4 others who are in solitary confinement who were already there when the Tanay boys were brought down.
According to AFP Custodian and AFP rules, the detainees are only allowed 48 hours of conjugal visit on weekends every 14 days.
So if there are 52 weeks in a year, the 27 prisoners can only avail more or less two weekends in a year. Or once every 27 weeks.
The detention facility was located inside MIG 17 in ISAFP Compound, however, a few days ago they put up a fence separating MIG 17 compound and the detention facility. No vehicle except a bicycle can go inside the detention compound now. If there will be a fire, the detainees will all get burned because no fire truck can go in the small driveway.
On Friday morning when the AFP were informed that human rights personnel will visit, they bore a hole in the concrete fence so detainees can go and play basketball in the adjacent Compound.
Col Arnulfo Marcos, the Custodian officer, was even surprisingly encouraging the detainees to go out and play basketball.
But when the Commissioner from Human Rights and other guests left, the hole was cemented again.
The detainees asked permission to play basketball but they were not allowed because according to the guards it is prohibited na daw.
Commissioner Basas, a doctor who visited with Commissioner Soriano yesterday said that the result of their investigation is not yet done so how can Bacarro say that it been certified compliant by CHR?
correction:
it has been certified compliant by CHR?
Tikboyblue, I am sorry to disagree with you but since asspweron cheated big for the evil bitch in 2004 and whitewashed the Mayuga report which would have given some light to his involvement, I lost any respect for him! Then I see asspweron act like a Bodyguard, fixing the collar of the evil bitch in public, holding her arm as she walks etc…showing some kind of endearment towards her. IT IS YUCK! Then I saw one time that he was crying when the evil bitch announced that she was not running for re-election because she was causing divisiveness, only to turn around and run again and this time CHEATED BIG with the assistance of asspweron using none other than the soldiers. The officers who could not stomach what asspweron did to the AFP are now languishing in jail! These are the 28 brave and selfless officers, A FEW GOOD MEN! Can you blame me if I look at asspweron as a hoodlum? He is acting like a mafia leader alongside with his mistress, the evil bitch! When the tide turns, I will have the pleasure of watching him SQUIRM like a worm. THAT IS WHAT HE IS A VERY SLIMY WORM!
It appears that detained AFP officers are beginning to experience sadist Esperon’s version of notoruios Abu Ghraib prison. Solitary confinements will emotionally traumatized the patriotic Tanay Boys. They don’t deserve this kind of cruel punishment. What are their crimes? The Filipino people know the real criminals are. Gloria Arroyo and Esperon deserve to be hanged to death for their crimes against the people and the State.
Dapat na maranasan nila ang ginagawa nila sa ating mga magigiting na sundalo. Hulihin lahat at ikulong sa madilim na kulungan at no conjugal visit. And they think na nagre-recruit ang mga nakakulong, they dont need to recruit. Siguro naman hindi tanga or bulag ang mga junior officers para di malaman ang nangyayari sa ating bansa. Sino naman ang hindi magagalit halimbawa sundalo ka tapos ang ipinaglalaban mo ay para ikabubuti ng ating bansa pero ang mga tao sa gobyerno naman ibinebenta na sa ibang bansa. Baka someday hindi na bandera ng Pilipinas ang lumilipad kundi bandera ng China.
No. Nothing can discourage this soldiers. They have sacrificed everything to tell the truth. But they don’t deserve being locked up in isafp. well, esperon thinks that the military officers are getting comfortable in tanay because nothing can make them give up. we even managed to have an easter egg hunting last year and had a lot of fun. i’m sure there are plans for this holy week too. 🙂
i mean these soldiers…if what are they planning for the next hearing..it will surely be something to ensure that these soldiers will be arraigned..what with only a couple of months left before esperon leaves..
DKG,this might be FOOLISH, why not file pettitions to FILE CHARGES AGAINST THE PEOPLE by DOJ,about these creating HAVOCK,destablizing our country,creating,HUNGER,improvished life of unfortunates, and those handicaps of earning decent livehoods.everybody and everything were affected from LITTLE OF EVERYTHING,eg,educational,work force productivities,local economies,using our resources uniformed service forces come to rescue our pitiful citizen of thier horrible sittuations.All evidences and facts are there showing after the incidences,they need to study what appropriate charges,and investigates whose initiating the DESTABILIZATION and go after the main culprit,for punishment,instead of us just voicing out grievances towards ill doing of the Administrations whom he belong, perhaps rendering services to the people would soften their outrages against on the Admin.File charges against Typhoons,heavy rains creating landslides,Volcanic eruptions,w/c dislocated people from thier domicile and other factors that created by MOTHER NATURE.
As Genereal Miranda pointed out to the Commissioner on Human rights, the main issue about their incerceration in ISAFP is that they are NOT SUPPOSED to be there. He stressed that they can manage in their present inhumane living conditions it it is the price they have to pay for fighting for truth and justice.
Correction: He stressed that they can manage in their present inhumane living conditions if it is the price they have to pay for fighting for truth and justice.
We were never informed that we have to file application for conjugal visits five days before date of visit.
Visits were only allowed from 9am to 5pm. Conjugal visits were not allowed the whole month of Feb.
The AFP owes me 96 hours of conjugal visit already.
Worst is the living conditions of the guards guarding the prisoners. They sleep under the trees. Bunk beds were placed alongside of the fence. Others put their mattresses on the ground inside a covered walk. They do not even have a toilet and bath.
If the AFP can not even take care of their own men, what more their prisoners.
According to Bacarro, a basketball court will be constructed. But the question is… WHEN?
The detainees were there for more than a month now but no basketball court yet or any signs of a basketball court being constructed.
So in the meantime, they do not have any sports facility or exercise machines. (the detainees have their own exercise machines but they are still in Tanay)
In Tanay, the detainees themselves with the help of friends and relatives, built their own basketball/badminton court.
@ parasabayan
i agree and respect your sentiments coz you are indeed right. what i am saying is we should respect him for showing his true colors — na isa pala siyang …. *wink*
hindi tulad ni joker arroyo na hindi nagjo-joke. akala ng marami he is against the “bad” yun pala “against the bad but pro-evil”. ibig sabihin, mas madaling i-predict si Esperon kaysa sa iba. tulad ni Dong Gonzales na isang tuta. Alam mo na na kakahol talaga yun. o di ba?
Cols Querubin and Parcon are both Medal of Valor Awardees, meaning they sacrificed their lives immensely, to the point of possible being killed, to defend our people and our country. Most Medal of Valor awardees die in combat. Only 13 Medal of Valor awardees are alive today. Can’t we pay these men back by at least treating them well while they are awaiting their trial? Isn’t there even one soul of the 90 million people who can defend them this time around? Some of the senators already visited them (Lacson, Biazon and Jamby). What happened to those visits? Some “big shots” were also able to visit them in detention. But no one ever filed a petition for these men of honor to be treated well, at least. Can’t anyone file a petition for this Evil Bitch and her DOG DIRTY asspweron to stop oppressing these men and not treat them as hard core criminals? The Evil Bitch, asspweron and their kind deserve to be locked up in Muntinlupa for life!
These incarcerated officers deserve to be treated as citizens until proven guilty! This is the least we all can do to show our appreciation for what they have done for us. Any takers?
Hindi ba’t nag-privilege speech na si Cong. TG Guingona sa Congress? He referred the matter (inhumane conditions of Tanay Boys at Camp Aguinaldo) to the Committee on Human Rights.
I am sure that when the Titanic Ship (Malacañang) is about to sink in the waters of Spratlys (issues hounding the GMA administration), there will be more “concerned politicians” who will fight for these soldiers’ rights.
Naguilenya, once asspweron is out of the AFP, we will see some changes with the treatment of these men of honor. Si asspweron lang naman ang nagpapahirap sa kanila kasi hindi niya madiktahan ang mga ito. These men of honor know how asspweron rigged the 2004 elections. Their hands are just tied right now but once they are out of incarceration, ang lagot ay si asspweron. The Evil Bitch and the asspweron will share a bartolina room together!
korek ka diyan parasabayan. but the way i see it, Es-meron… i mean esperon will stay in the AFP as long as Gloria Arroyo stays. actually dapat pinalayas na siya nung umabot na siya sa retirement age. kaso, sabi ng ating mga espiritu-santong prayle diyan sa palasyo, di daw talaga pakakawalan ni GMA ang AFP whistleblower. tiyak, magco-coup d’ etat lang at wala ng makakapigil. ikalawa, wala ring paglalagyan itong si Esperon sa mga kabinete ng gobyerno. maliban na lang daw kung pumayag ang mama na maging janitor ng palasyo. ikatlo, mawawalan na ng whistleblower sa AFP… isang un-gentleman general na tagabantay ng interes ng mga Arroyo.
mas maganda pa sigurong aksiyon, i-push natin both sa media at sa mga taong-gobyerno na paalisin na ang mga overstaying o kaya mga due to retire. bugbugin natin sa balita at sa public opinion na ang mga taong ito, nagsilbi na (whether sa kanilang pansariling interes, sa interes ng iilan o sa interes ng bansa) at kailangan na talagang lumisan. kaya tumataas ang unemployment rate at saka patuloy na palpak ang mga programa ng gobyerno dahil ayaw bigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga youngblood.
kung mapipilitan ang palasyo na bitawan ang mga overstaying (isama na rin si sec. teves. ilang beses ng na-bypass sa CA), mababawasan kahit papano ang mga galamay ni GMA. soon, she might even give up her position. can we request the group headed by ellen to make a listing of the overstaying officials in the government both in the military and those in the executive branch?