Skip to content

Toadies crawling out of the woodwork

Malaya editorial:

A Marine colonel who headed the military component of the PNP-AFP contingent which assaulted the Manila Peninsula has started looking for “padrinos” at the Commission on Appointments to help swing his nomination to brigadier general.

His confirmation originally was seen as a cinch. There were some derogatory marks on his service record and he was also perceived as a “bata-bata” of AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon. Points against him, but not fatal to his career.

Post-Manila Pen, Col. Jonathan Martir is the proverbial camel seeking to pass through the needle’s eye. The opposition is determined to block his confirmation. He is likely to stay a colonel until the AFP rule on attrition catches up with him.

Martir pulled a macho stunt at the Pen. He manhandled Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and some members of the Magdalo group while they were lying face down on the floor with their hands cuffed. Asked by a member of the CA from the House why he did so, Martir answered that Trillanes and his companions “deserved it.”

Martir probably was only taking after Esperon, his patron. Look where bluster, macho posturing and helping rig elections brought Esperon. From deputy AFP deputy chief for operations, he became chief of the Special Operations Command, then Army chief and finally chief of staff. Esperon is reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 on February 9 and this early, he is talking about his being “honored” if Gloria Arroyo would extend his stay (hint, hint, hint).

The least Martir could aspire for after displaying exemplary loyalty to Gloria beyond the call of duty is the command of the Marine Corps, an appointment the Board of Generals on its own would unlikely endorse given Martir’s record of once going AWOL.

The toadies were crawling out of the Pen woodwork. The siege gave Metro Manila police chief Geary Barias the opportunity to display his credentials as a reliable Arroyo lap dog. That gave him a leg up over other officers also casting moist eyes on the post that Sonny Razon is scheduled to vacate in September.

Although minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. has vowed to oppose Barias’ appointment as PNP chief, The 1987 Constitution, fortunately for Barias, has removed appointments at the PNP from the review of the CA. So there’s a high probability a thug would end up heading the PNP.

But where the opposition could make its power and influence felt, it should seek to protect us from such dangerous men in the uniformed services. Martir is in that class of officers who do not deserve a star on their epaulets.

Published inHuman RightsMilitary

47 Comments

  1. chi chi

    Post-Manila Pen, Col. Jonathan Martir. Aha! Ikaw pala ang nag-manhandle sa mga heroes ko ha!

    This Martir is no martir. He’s not deserving of any promotions for being an idiot.

    “Asked by a member of the CA from the House why he did so, Martir answered that Trillanes and his companions “deserved it.””.

    The ‘naughtiness’ of Trillanes and Co. is no match to the kababuyans of your ‘non-president evah’! She’s the who deserved your kamachuchuhan!

  2. Martir is just one of those thugs masquerading as officers.

    Barias and his men took turns manhandling trillanes and his fellow Magdalo officers.

  3. chi chi

    “The toadies were crawling out of the Pen woodwork”

    Kokak! kokak! kokak! Oh!… the toadies are seeking help from Asspweron, the king of toadies!

  4. chi chi

    Sus, karami pala ng mga machuchung idiots sa pulis!

    Juggernaut,

    Will you ask your police friends why they’re so jealous of my heroes?

    AT4 and fellow Magdalos should charge in court Barias, Martir and felllow idiots with manhandling and torture. Huwag lang sa Asspweron court, alam na natin ang kasunod.

  5. chi chi

    Whoever among the senators will approve of Martir’s promotion should go to hell!

    Ang dami sa kanila ang nahihilot, sa simula lang ang pakieme! Di nga ba iyong nag-fabricate ng survey about Trillanes ay lulusot yata?

  6. Toney Cuevas Toney Cuevas

    Martir will get promoted, one way or another, Gloria the whore will see to it, if she wants Martir promoted. Take the cases of Trecherous Angelo Reyes and Hilario Davide, et al. Congress is immaterial as their past records. Gloria is walking all over them, and Congress just goes on to their usual tirade. BTW, what happen to Lacson’s on Jose Pidal account and Cayetano’s Arroyo’s bank accounts in Germany? Etc., Etc.

  7. klingon klingon

    It is also Martir who executed affidavits that led to the finding of probable cause against many of the Marines currently incarcerated in Tanay, several of whom were not really involved in the February 2006 incident. However, due to this toady’s statement, these innocents are suffering.

  8. Esperon is BEGGING to be extended — no sense of decency! What an utter icorigible jerk!

    None of the people who have met him think highly of him.

    I keep telling them — careful, he’s gonna double cross you!

  9. buhawi buhawi

    Dolorfino and Martir running the Marines…The Corps is at its lowest!!!

  10. buhawi buhawi

    klingon…hindi lang siya nag execute ng affidavit, nangalap pa siya ng mga affidavits para dumami at tumibay pero hindi nagpagago yung mga true Marines.

  11. rebelfiancee rebelfiancee

    Ellen, congrats for a well-reseached facts about MARTIR.. you’re absolutely right. He is far from Col. Querubin and other Colonels of Phil.Marines. He is a ” CHU-CHU” of Arroyo. A selfish officer.. he does’nt deserve any promotions. But can you look at Commandant Dolorfino also a pet of Arroyo.. marami sa Marines na papogi. But majority of the lower ranks, symphatizes the cause that Trillanes, et al is fighting for..

  12. On the possible Esperon extension:

    I think this will later on backfire. Remember, this regime is implementing what the so called “revolving door” policy on the appointment of AFP Chief of Staff. There are so many aspirants who want to taste the highest position in the armed forces.

    Should Esperon extend, there is also a possibility that other aspirants would feel bad about it in the same some generals during the Marcos regime resent Gen. Fabian Ver’s long reign in the AFP.

    Esperon will be facing two fronts then. The Magdalos and other allied groups and the Generals whose promotions are scuttled because of Esperon’s extension.

  13. “Should Esperon extend, there is also a possibility that other aspirants would feel bad about it in the same some generals during the Marcos regime resent Gen. Fabian Ver’s long reign in the AFP. ” — balacutan

    If they feel bad for having been left in the promotion lurch, that’s their problem. Nothing to whine about. What they should get their gall is what Gloria and Esperon are doing, transforming the AFP into a VIP bodyguarding unit for Gloria.

    That’s not the mission of the AFP and that’s what these officers who are “next in line” should be whining about.

    And if these officers decide “to blow their top” because Esperon is going to be “extended” their efforts should be rejected by the people.

  14. Ellen,

    The only time we saw Allaga sober was during Saturday Inspections (SI) in the mid 80’s, even then he still looked tanked, he was one of the tactical officers then. Mr. Martir was also a tactical officer but he mostly kept to himself, a very mysterious character. One thing you can’t miss is the way he strikes a pose in uniform in public, almost contrived or choreographed (he still does, funny, old habits never die). The battalion he handled probably had the most gruesome “hazing” cases at the time.

  15. Text from an marine officer on Martir:

    Let him be assigned to Mindanao. Iiyak yan. He is known to shoot only at target papers. Takot yan sa kalaban who could shoot back at him also. In the Marines, he is called “bakla” behind his back.

  16. piping dilat piping dilat

    juggernaut,

    sorry, can’t make it today… wala akong lakad sa manila, today… anyway, if indeed MWF ang schedule mo sa Edsa Shangrila 1-3 pm , i can just drop by one of these days… basta may appointment ako dyan…

  17. Ellen,

    I was just being polite earlier, I told you magaling mag “pose” yan, pansinin nyo. And yes, its true, he’s one hell of a marksman in the shooting range. hehehe

  18. Noted, piping dilat.

  19. Valdemar Valdemar

    Baka naman hindi pinagbiyan ng mga Magdalo si Bakla kaya tuloy pinagdidiinan sila.

  20. Gabriela Gabriela

    Someone told me Martir is a known wife beater.

    In yesterday’s hearing, Sen. Jamby Madrigal mentioned he went on AWOL.

  21. The AWOL can just be explained away as “classified,” maybe US counter terrorism training or something similar, just wait a bit longer and the government will say the same thing.

  22. Gabriela,

    Which wife?

  23. We were prevented from taking shots of what was happening at the other end of the Manila Pen lobby where Barias, Martir and company were manhandling Sen. Trillanes, Gen. Lim and company.

    But as I always say,truth will find its way out.

    In yesterday’s Senate hearing, Charmaine Deogracias said she saw one official stepping on the Magdalo officers who were down on the floor, face down, stripped to their shorts and their hands tied at the back. Whether one of those was Trillanes, a senator, she said she can’t be sure.

  24. One also witnessed a SAF member twisting the arm of Gen. Danny Lim. The Magdalo officers saw this and they reacted. That’s why probably they were roughed up.

    These people are not “officers and gentlemen”. They are thugs.

  25. Hearing on Martir’s promotion in on Tuesday. I’ll attend.

  26. Ellen,

    “One also witnessed a SAF member twisting the arm of Gen. Danny Lim.”

    Danny Lim is an army general, the SAF are from the police, not even military police, so am sure they don’t know when to toe the line.

    Sonny Razon is crazy! Allowing the police to manhandle an army general who was not in bar browl is really pathetic.

    Sonny Razon is stupid! If he thinks that will be forgotten by those who look up to Lim, he’s mistaken. Completely idiotic thing to do…

    I am appalled!

  27. chi chi

    Those police who stepped on the Magdalo officers , twisted the arms of Gen. Lim, and forcibly “processed” the journalists and civilians are the goons/assassins of Gloria.

    Ganyan na kasama ang kondisyon ng utak ng mga pulis na ito, ipaglalaban si Gloria ng patayan dahil kung mawawala ang kwin korap ay liliit ang kanilang mga tiyan!

  28. “Martir pulled a macho stunt at the Pen. He manhandled Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and some members of the Magdalo group while they were lying face down on the floor with their hands cuffed.”

    He just couldn’t stop help it, he had to “handle these men.” hehehe

  29. Ha! Ha! Ha!

  30. klingon klingon

    Juggernaut, heard the same thing. The wife-beating and stalking (ask why he was allegedly deported) are symptomatic of a misogynistic behavior.

  31. bisaya bisaya

    Ellen, itong si Martir di na naiba sa sinabi ko noon about Maestrecampo. Pag nakagapos na ang kalaban,tumapang na! Pero si Maestrecampo ayos sana sa Oakwood pero nawala ang prinsipyo,sumaludo kay glo at nag sorry pa!He,he,he. Anyway back to bading na Martir. Ito nga yata yung kumalat sa PMC na bayot na opisyal. Nag-awol yan at nag sideline sa US, baka nag caregiver.

  32. bisaya,

    Hindi na niya kailangang mag care giver (or magtrabaho at all) pwede siyang mag BSN (binuhi sa nurse – in bisaya) because nurse misis niya sa US.

  33. One things for sure, Gloria knows how to lick them. She zooms in on officers who are unpopular with their peers, isolated in a way, those who would readily sell out their commanding officers (like Martir). This way she plays with the “weakness” of these men making it look like she’s the only one who appreciates them, “come with me I’ll take care of you.” She is assured of blind loyalty from day 1.

  34. Sorry, I meant “pick” them.

  35. Mrivera Mrivera

    “In the Marines, he is called “bakla” behind his back.”

    in my former unit, there was one officer who always made excuses when recommended/programmed to take up any warfare course to the extend of repeatedly shooting his foot everytime he learned of any order for him to.

    pero ang tapang magsalita at manduro sa mga EP na akala mo hindi nagtatago kapag may operation.

    kaya parepareho lamang. walang army, walang navy/marines at walang airforce sa katapangan at kagitingan o sa kapintasan.

    count the police out. mas lamang ang pagkapa sa bulsa ng karamihan sa mga ‘yan.

    kung paano magkakaroon ng laman.

  36. Mrivera Mrivera

    “……to the EXTENT of……..”

    ano ba namang daliri sa paa ito.

  37. balweg balweg

    Promotion of Col. Martir is an exemplary of GMA regime. Copycat of SP Justice T. De Castro appointment in the Supreme Court.

    Ang PEN standoff & Erap conviction a passport of their promotion. Dapat harangin yan sa CA.

    Madagdagan na naman ang tuta ni GMA.

  38. jug,

    Three questions:
    -Is it safe to say it was Martir who licked the “rebellion”?
    -What would have he done had someone ordered him, “I want Trillanes’ head“?
    -Has he developed skills in backdoor negotiations?

  39. Hahahahahahahaha!

  40. Jug, Tongue, Kayo talaga mga pilyo.

  41. Mrivera Mrivera

    TonGuE-tWisTeD Says:

    December 15th, 2007 at 7:23 am

    jug,

    Three questions:
    -Is it safe to say it was Martir who licked the “rebellion”?
    -What would have he done had someone ordered him, “I want Trillanes’ head“?
    -Has he developed skills in backdoor negotiations?

    ito ba ibig sabihin nito?

    -tama bang sabihin na si martir ang nag-beeeee sa “nagmamatigas”?

    -ano ang sasabihin niya kung merong magsabing gusto niya ang “ulo” ni trillanes?

    -natutunan ba niya ang pakikipagkasundo nang “talikuran”?

  42. Mrivera Mrivera

    mali pala ‘yung huli.

    dapat pala ganito: natutunan ba niya ang pakikipagkasundong sa “likod na lamang ng pintuan”?

  43. Mrivera,

    Masyado ka pang matino para sa jokes ni tongue, orient kita, BI ako dati hehehe

  44. Mrivera Mrivera

    juggernaut,

    ako? matino?

    salamat naman, kung ganoon ang paniwala mo.

    alam ko na ang tumbok ni tongue tungkol sa doon.

    buti nga naka-pampers ako. kung hindi tagos ang wiwi at o-o ko sa katatawa dahil sa kabulastugan ng mamang ‘yan.

  45. Bwahahahaha!

    Hey, Magno. Pardon me. And my virginal innocence.

Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.