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Sin begets sin

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Three of the four who came untied:Col. Orlando de Leon, Brig. Gen. Danny Lim, and Col. Ariel Querubin.

The adage “sin begets sin”
was best exemplified by what happened in last Friday’s resumption of the hearings of special general court martial trying 28 Marine and Army officers accused of planning to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006.

Here’s what happened:

Past 11 a.m., there was still nobody in the courtroom, although the hearing was supposed to start at 9 a.m. Earlier, a few minutes before 9 a.m., a heavily-guarded Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim arrived in Camp Capinpin from Camp Crame where he has been detained since the Nov. 29 incident at the Manila Pen with the Magdalo officers. Lim’s eight-vehicle (including a six by six truck) security convoy included members of the elite units of SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) and SAF (Special Action Force), Traffic Management Group and regular police.

Vicente Verdadero, lawyer of Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, and Rodrigo Artuz, lawyer of Col. Ariel Querubin were the first ones to arrive in court. They disclosed that Col. Arnulfo Marcos, commander of the AFP Custodial Management Unit, wanted to implement the order to handcuff the officers to the courtroom, a departure from earlier practice. The two lawyers said the officers refuse to be handcuffed. They also said they advised their clients not to agree to be handcuffed because they have not been convicted.

For a better picture of the situation, the detention center is located inside Camp Capinpin. It’s about two to three kilometers away from the heavily secured gate. It is just about 200 meters away from the courtroom. In the past hearings, the officers with their escorts just walked from the detention center to the courtroom.

At 11:20 a.m. Lim, Querubin, Col. Orlando de Leon and Maj. Francisco Domingo Fernandez arrived unencumbered. Querubin and Lim said their custodians tried handcuffing them but they refused. Asked why there was an order to handcuff them, Querubin said, “They want to humiliate us.”

The trial judge advocate moved for the arraignment of the accused which the defense lawyers opposed for two reasons: one, there is still the question of not all the accused having exercised their right of peremptory challenge particularly Lt. Homer Estolas, which is a requirement before arraignment; and two, not all the accused were present.

That’s when the issue of handcuffing came up.

In the beginning, the line of members of the panel as articulated by law member Col. Marian Aleido was that, nobody was being prevented from coming to the court but it’s the accused who didn’t want to come. She said the issue of handcuffing is the responsibility of the custodians and is outside their jurisdiction when the accused are not in the courtroom. Once inside the courtroom, she said they may decide to waive the handcuffing order.

Aleido said it was the “convening authority,” meaning, AFP chief Hermogenes Esperon, who ordered the handcuffing of the accused.

Other lawyers including Trixie Angeles, Alex Avisado, and Dante Xenon Atienza insisted on their clients’ right to participate in the hearing. Verdadero even volunteered to personally fetch his other clients, Lieutenants Estolas and Jacon Cordero, from the detention center.

Atienza questioned the double standard in implementing the order to handcuff the detainees. He pointed out that the four officers in the courtroom were not handcuffed. He demanded the same treatment for his clients.

It must have been a slip of the tongue or eagerness to railroad the trial per order from above or just plain stupidity that Maj. Gen. Jogy Fojas, head of the panel, said that they don’t want all the accused in the courtroom because in the past hearings the accused were “unruly.”

The defense lawyers protested. Verdadero disputed Fojas’ description of the accused.

They insisted on the right of their clients to be present at their hearing. Avisado asked, “Is that now the new official strategy?” He pointed out that the charge is conspiracy to commit mutiny. They have to be present in all the proceedings because participation of one is participation of all, and that a decision on one will affect everybody.

Since the lawyers questioned the order to handcuff the accused, Col. Marcos was put on the witness stand. Marcos underscored the principle of chain of command in the military. He said the order to handcuff the accused came from his immediate superior, Col. Ireneo Espino, camp commander based in Camp Aguinaldo. It was a verbal order, he said.

Why then did he not follow Espino’s order on Lim, Querubin, De Leon and Fernandez? Marcos said it was an order from Fojas to allow the four to come to the hearing without handcuffs.

So that means Fojas broke the chain of command. It also belied an earlier claim of Aleido that outside the courtroom, they have no jurisdiction over the detainees.

The panel was embarrassed by Marcos’ disclosure and was saved by the lunch break. They were supposed to resume at 2 p.m. but at 3 p.m., nobody was in the courtroom. To dispel the issue of double standard, they wanted to handcuff even the four who were in the court in the morning. The four, of course, refused. There was a standoff.

Tension rose as the detainees learned that Marcos had withdrawn ammunition from the armory. Against whom would the ammunition be used? Then we saw three truckloads of fully armed uniformed personnel being unloaded near the courtroom and going towards the detention center.

The camp commander, Maj. Gen. Delfin Bangit, was called in. It was 3:30 p.m. when the panel returned to an empty courtroom to resume the hearing. Not one of the accused or any of their civilian lawyers was present. Only the two military defense lawyers returned.

With nobody to try and prosecute, the panel adjourned.

The sense we got was, Fojas was eager to railroad the process because if the officers are not arraigned by February, the charge of conduct unbecoming of an officer and gentleman would be automatically dismissed.

Then we have to go back to the “original sin.” The officers are being accused of mutiny for allegedly planning to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo after she was exposed to have cheated in the 2004 elections.

Arroyo’s original sin as heard in the “Hello Garci” tapes has spawned more sins. We are seeing blatant railroading and gross injustice.

There has to be an end to this.

Published inFeb '06MalayaMilitary

57 Comments

  1. balweg balweg

    Arroyo’s original sins are real and the root cause of all our sufferings and humilations.

  2. Disappointed OFW Disappointed OFW

    Sin begets Sin. Dahil sa kagustuhan nilang pagtakpan ang kasalanan lalo lamang lumalaki ito.nagkaka buhol-buhol tuloy ang kanilang mga sinasabi para lang pagtakpan ang kanilang mga kasinungalingan. Ang kasalanan ay parang isang Cancer na nkakahawa kung ito’y hindi malulunasan. “There has to be and end to this” tama ka mam ellen and lets pray to God na matapos na ito sa lalong madaling panahon. hindi ko alam kung paano but God knows,Because His ways is higher than our ways.

  3. balweg balweg

    May nadagdag uli na isang pasaway sa ating Menu for the day! Si MGen. Jogy Fojas, isa na namang General problem ito mga kabloggers, dapat pag piestahan uli natin….bakit po? Kasi nga eh gusto palang igisa sa sariling mantika ang mga magigiting nating Katipunero na sa Febrero eh maibaba ang sintensiya sa kanila, if not so mapapawalang sala ang mga pobre.

    Hey hey hey magsasaya ang buong Ellenville, nawa sana eh walang Febrero na mapagkayarian sa hearing na ito, in short WALA SILANG KASALANAN! Yupeee….

  4. chi chi

    Talaga, nanganganak ng walang tigil ang original sin ni Gloria…ang Hello Garci!

  5. chi chi

    O, nagkakagulo ang members ng prosecution to the point na para mawala sa isyu ng “to handcuff or not” ay umorder ng tatlong trucks ng battle-geared soldiers. Para kanino yun, e wala na ang apat na ‘kalaban’ sa loob ng courtroom?! Waldas na naman ng pera para ipakita ang strong republic ni Gloria. Hello Garci!

  6. Zardux Zardux

    Ka balweg,

    si fojas ay kilalang ‘level-headed’at humble officer. DATI yun. Sinama ni esperon si fojas nuong J3 (afp operations)pa ang una. Di natin alam kung kasama din si fojas sa 2004 dayaan. Nung mag CSAFP si esperon, kinuha nya uli si fojas at inupo nya as J3.

    Sa AFP, lahat ng matitinong opisyal na ginawang bata ni esperon ay naging tarantado na rin.

    If sin begets sin, so does idiocy.

  7. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Major Gen. Jogy Fojas wants to have *pogi points* for his 3rd star. He sold his soul to the evil empire. The ghost of Hello Garci political scam keeps haunting Gloria Arroyo and her trusted protector, Mr. Esperon. Railroading strategy was used then by GMA conspirator’s tongressmen to junk two impeachment complaints. Jose De Venecia-led Lower House also railroaded congressional proceedings to declare Gloria as elected president of the republic despite rampant-systematic electoral fraud in 2004 election. The 29 Tanay Boys don’t expect justice under Esperon Kangaroo Court.

  8. Brownberry Brownberry

    I thought the subject of this thread meant the late Cardinal Sin begets sin. This Gen. Fojas’ name sounds familiar to me. Is he that Atty. Fojas from the old Fojas Law Office in Manila? Or this Fojas is related to the abovementioned? Maybe our friend here Atty. could share us what he knows.

  9. J. Cruz J. Cruz

    How do you solve a problem like gonorrhea? PENICILLIN!

    How do you solve a problem like we have? I don’t know!

    At least, with gonorrhea, there is a cure!

    The problem we have, your guess is as good as mine!

  10. Zardux Zardux

    This court martial trial is akin to John Rat’s manipulation of his own affidavit: both with the connivance and concurrence of Colonelette Davila and mister esperon.

  11. balweg balweg

    Ka Zardux,

    Tuta kasi ni Tabako yang si esperoni, kaya iisa ang kulay nila, mga traydor sa Bayan?

    Di ko masyadong kilala yang si jogy fojas buti pa si direktor jogy ng ABS-CBN eh pamilyar sa akin…. showbiz Pre!

    Akala nýa eh pasisindak sa kanila sina Gen. Lim/Col. Querubin, bemedalled soldiers ito at magaling umilag sa bala, siya kaya?

  12. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Conspiracy and fraud is the trademark of the corrupt Arroyo regime. It’s like a malignant cancer affecting the entire system.

  13. balweg balweg

    Brownberry,

    Parang iisa ang tunog, akalain mo eh the same “sin”.

    Di ba yang magaling natin cardinal ang promotor ng pagsipa kay Pres. Erap, EDSA II coup plotters ang mga iyan. So, si GMA ang mother of ORIGINAL SIN (coup plotters) at si cardinal ang spiritual adviser kasi dedma lang siya ni Pres. Erap.

    Dapat maibansag natin kay GMA eh Mother of Original Sins not ONCE but TWICE!

  14. Zardux Zardux

    Mahilig sa railroading etong gobyernong gma. merong north rail project, zte at meron din sa korte.

    Sana ma-railroad din natin ang pag alis nila sa pwesto.

    Let’s go Railroading! Sama ka JC, eto yung cure.

    Ka balweg, di lang bata ni FVR si esperon, kapitbahay pa. And you know what, they shared some nasty secrets he he he. Alam ni razon yan. Langya, nahawa ako sayo…parang showbiz bwahahahaha.

  15. Brownberry Brownberry

    Thanks Balweg. Familar kasi ang pangalang Fojas. May alam akong Atty. Fojas na may isang law office noon na humahawak ng labor case. Anyway, I’m sure this Gen. Fojas is related to them. Iilan lang naman ang mga Fojas sa atin. By the way, I now get as hard time logging in and posting to this blog. Kayo ba nahihirapan din? Kung minsan okay lang pero ngayon madalas na mahirap pumasok.

  16. balweg balweg

    DKG,

    Tutal nabanggit mo ang trademark eh dapat tatakan na natin ng PS (Philippine Standard) yang Mother of Original Sins not Once but Twice, ok!

    Paano ba maipapatent ito para wala ng maka-kopya pa, para orig ang dating at ng sa gayon eh di makumpiska ni chairman Edu. Kasi nga eh napirated na eh!

  17. balweg balweg

    BB,

    Wait ka lang pag di ka naka-IN, madalas ding mangyari sa akin ito, but it’s ok sinasala lang siguro ng akimet ang bawat mensahe na pumamasok sa Ellenville.

    You know, i don’t have any further info about Gen. fojas, ngayon ko lang narinig itong General problem na yan. Mag re research pa ako about him.

    Di dapat makapwesto yan, kasi partly of crime yan ni esperoni.

  18. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    U.S. o international patent para hindi makumpiska.

  19. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Tanong: Kapitbahay ba ni FVR si Esperon sa Alabang o sa Asingan, Pangasinan?

  20. balweg balweg

    Ka Zardux,

    Marunong ka bang mag direk ng isang tele-serye o kaya digital filming movie? Pwede nating pagkakitahan yang Mother of Sins not Once but Twice the Movie o kaya tele-serye!

    Ask nating ang tropa baka mayroon pwedeng maging leading man ni GMA at masimulan na ang shooting para makakuha tayo ng pangpondo sa 2010.

    Ng makabawi naman tayo kay GMA, grabe na talaga ang pang-aalaska sa sambayang Pinoy eh….inis-talo talaga. Ginagawang showbiz ang pagpapatakbo ng gobyerno.

  21. balweg balweg

    DKG,

    Dapat siguro pati na sa international para di ma pirated ng mga Instik o kaya ipautang sa atin ng mga bombay ng 5/6!

  22. balweg balweg

    DKG,

    Sa Alabang (loob) ang hybol ni Tabako at si Esperoni naman eh nasa gilid nga Alabang. Magkatabi nga! Ikaw talaga pinag-isip mo pa kami eh.

  23. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Kailangan ma-fart bomb ang kanyang Alabang gilid residence. Siguradong ill-gotten wealth iyan. Magkano ba ang sahod ang isang AFP general?

  24. Brownberry Brownberry

    Balweg, sige wait na lang ako. Mahirap pumasok pero madaling labasan este makalabas…hirap dito sa blog ano?

  25. balweg balweg

    DKG,

    Buti naitanong mo ang salary ng isang AFP general? Yan din ang pali kong naitatanong sa aking sarili eh di hamak naman ang laki ng sweldo natin sa isang senador eh bakit di tayo makabili ng haus sa Ayala Alabang?

    Base sa aking research eh karamihan sa mga henerals eh nasa excluse subdivisions nakatira at si Tabako ang supremo sa Ayala Alabang.

    Si Gen. Garcia eh nagtatampisaw lang yan sa paroo’t parito sa US of A. Karamihan sa kanila eh may property sa US of A.

    Bakit ganon? Ang mga ordinaryong sundalo eh walang haus at ang iba pa eh sa squatter area nakatira?

    Ito ba talaga ang kalakaran sa Pinas? Eh dapat pala ang meaning ng PMA eh (Pasaway, Magnanakaw, at Abusado).

  26. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Gloria Arroyo has over-fed her corrupt generals or to be eaten alive. Corruption in the military is the main reason why the Magdalo soldiers staged a protest move in Oakwood and Manila Pen. We are going in circle. Pabalik-balik ang isyung kurapsyon.

  27. Ellen asked if there is democracy in the Philippines in the other loop. It depends on the kind of democracy the idiots are trying to impose on Filipinos now. If we think US, UK or Japan, I doubt.

    I don’t think majority of Filipinos even understand what it means, that it is a government FOR, OF and BY the people, and that those they elect are not supposed to be their masters but their public servants

    I actually did not understand it until my family immigrated to the US and then I settled in Japan, and started participating in the election and other democratic process as when I get permits from the police to do street demonstrations for instance ini Tokyo.

    I have also participated in street rally in SFO as when concerned citizens there demonstrated against then planned attack on Iraq, but over there, unlike in Japan, I witnessed how some infiltrators try to mar the peaceful demonstration to start a riot and the police start clubbing people. It was scary.

    Over in the Philippines, I have seen video clips of peaceful rallies disrupted by paid infiltrators who even throw stones at the rallyists as what they tried to do to disrupt the funeral procession then for FPJ. May nambato buti na lang nandoon si Mayor Lim who was still respected by policemen in Manila that some planned riot by Gonzales’ men I guess was stopped.

    I have videos likewise of peaceful rallies of that human rightist group, Karapatan, and policemen provoking and clubbing them even when they maintained their cool. Worse was a video clip of a Franciscan priest being hit with a truncheon by a policemen. Is that democratic? No way!

  28. As for this trial, it is a farce. It surely sucks! Kundi ba naman mga inutil, battalion pa ang bantay ng wala namang armas!

    I can’t help raising an eyebrow and wonder at the sanity of these idiots sending more than one battalion to guard an armless general who showed defiance against some crazy orders by a cheat and a liar, who grabbed her position illegally that everyone knows but cannot seem to know how to stop her. And all because not many of them there are as brave and courageous as General Lim and his fellow detainees!

    Dami na kasing bakla! My impression with the kind of movies (about 80%) they showed in t he Philippines for instance in 2007. Susmaryosep!

    Kaya tuloy ang laban even with our fingers through Ellen’s blog!

  29. One thing that’s so obvious in the “humiliation tries” described in the article, i.e., handcuffing some and others not and whatever is the military hierarchy IS CONFUSED!

    (1) we saw that Eperon’s order, “handcuff them” couldn’t be executed
    (2) the woman colonel was forced by circumstances to interpret higher command’s order and if you want to go down to brass tacks, she shouldn’t have interpreted the command
    (3) panel got wishy washy about what to do and what not resulting in postponement (for every postmponement, February deadline comming along nicely, higher authority loses)
    (4) Marcos withdrawing ammo from logistics center clearly shows that he wanted to be segurista for any eventuality (militarily, the act would have been brilliant) but goes to show that he was nervous (couldn’t trust the rest his colleagues to do the right thing

    But all these point to one and one thing: the prevailing psyche is that of a stateof utter confusion (keep it on guys — hehe! Esperon’s henchmen are extremely lucky; in the business or corporate world, confusion would lead to severe financial loss, heads would roll)

    In a battle (war zone scenario), that kind of confusion can be absolutely lethal. You can’t win a battle when confusion reigns — the above scenarios (described in the blog article) show that Esperon is losing the battle against the incarcerated officers… The only way for Esperon to win this is for him to institute tougher or draconian measures, i.e., shoot but Esperon is a coward, he won’t shoot. Anyway, unless he does it himself, who will?

    What a sorry affairs of state for the military!

  30. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Over-acting ang camp commnander. Bakit kailangan ang isang batallion para i-secure ang Kangaroo Court? Dapat may Famas award ang mga aso ni Assperon.

  31. Brownberry Brownberry

    How well do you know this Ricky Carandang? This Tsinoy looking English speaking young journalist is very impressive.
    Visit his site “Ricky Carandang Reporting” and it’s a very interesting one. Hindi ko masyadong kilala itong si Ricky maliban sa isa siya sa mga sikat sa ANC. I would like to know more about him…

  32. ace ace

    Since the title of this thread is “Sin begets Sin”, I hope the Bible verses below will be relevant:

    “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit,In order to add sin to sin; – Isaiah 30:1

    “But if you don’t do as you have said, then you will have sinned against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will catch up with you” – Numbers 32:23

  33. Brownberry, Ricky’s blog is linked to this blog. Check out the blogroll on the right side of this blog.

  34. Anna, re: “The only way for Esperon to win this is for him to institute tougher or draconian measures, i.e., shoot..”

    I understand the accused officers were ready for that.These are battle-tested officers. They have faced death in the battlefield a number of times and this one is just another battle for them. At stake, aside from their personal honor and integrity, is military justice as well as justice for the Filipino people.

  35. Ellen,

    And I won’t blame them one bit if the accused officers decide to turn around and shoot it out… But I don’t know if it will happen. Why not? Because Esperon is a coward — he will blink and blink. How can an honourable officer in the likes of the accused shoot someone (even Esperon) who’s pissing water because of cowardice?

    That’s why Esperon gave the orders (through Marcos) to go to arsenal and get ammos…

  36. Just in case… Esperon is a double crosser and a double crosser is a coward!

  37. It seems that there is more to this case that meets the eye, judging from the state of panic they are in at the moment. Would the truth lead to a domino effect that will implicate so many others? Is the cost of the truth so high?

  38. This case reminds me of a quality issue that keeps recurring – its just the tip fo the iceberg…Normally we do a root cause analysis.

  39. luzviminda luzviminda

    Malakas ang loob ng mga military officials na mangurakot at umabuso dahil hindi sila napaparusahan, hanggang sa mag-retiro sila ay hindi sila hinahabol para kasuhan at panagutin sa mga pangaabuso at pangungurakot. Ang masama ay yung mga matitino pa ang nakukulong at dinidischarge. Paano kaya natin mapagbabayad sa kanilang mga kasalanan ang mga opisyal na kagaya ni Esperon, Palparan at iba pa?

  40. The question that comes to mind is “CAN WE HANDLE THE TRUTH?” What if it will shake the very foundations of our institutions?

  41. Jug,

    In my view, at some point, the nation has got to face the truth — only way to move forward and to progress is to face it and handle it like a man.

    Gotta make a stand and be a man.

    Something I said to my youngest son in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq when he was one of the few pupils (he was 11 years old at the time), who voiced his opposition to the invasion and was bullied in the process by pupils who were pro and many were older and bigger than him. He came home with almost on the verge of tears one day (like my daughter who was older) — I told him:

    “Look, this war will not end soon and if you don’t stand up and fight even if you get a black eye in the process, the bullying will continue; better do it now and get it over with — prepare to fight it out (and be street smart with the fighting) with your fist if necessary if those who are bullying you can’t accept your stand even if in the process you get a black eye.”

    He did just that; when he was being bullied in the canteen by a couple of older boys, he fought it out with his fists and he fought back, got badly bruised but so did the other two American boys — they all were marched into the headmaster’s office; all got suspended for a day. I said to him when he returned home to tell me of the headmaster’s sentence, “Well done my son!”

    After that, the bullying stopped — he made more friends and never did anybody try to bully him again.

  42. My son who just turned 16 will be entering Sandhurst soon.

  43. chi chi

    Anna,

    Congratulations to your son.

  44. chi chi

    Ellen,

    “I understand the accused officers were ready for that.These are battle-tested officers. They have faced death in the battlefield a number of times and this one is just another battle for them.”

    And precisely the reason why Asspweron is messed up with his decisions. He knows in his heart that these officers are ready to die anytime for truth and justice, very much unlike him.

  45. Saw this banner on Malaya online, ” Military, police say
    ‘plot’ unconfirmed.” Biglang tingin akala ko may Gestapo na sa Pilipinas. Hindi ko kasi napansin iyong comma between Military and police. Heaven forbid!

  46. ace ace

    The accused Marine and Army Officers in Tanay need to be extra careful and prepare for the worst this coming weeks. Baka magkabarasuhan na,there is a deadline (February) as far as the arraignment is concerned.

  47. Off topic but I just found out that British actress, Vanessa Redgrave, has started a political party in UK addressing human rights violations. It is called Peace and Progress Party. I suggest groups with the same objectives in the Philippines to link up with her.

  48. ADB,

    The big question which I was hesistant to ask streightforwardly before was “What if this case starts a domino effect implicating so many others, even retired generals, public officials, etc.? And are we prepared to lose half of the officer corps of the AFP, most of them in the higher echelons?

  49. Corruption in any organization most especially involving substantial amounts of money are normally not isolated to a single individual, its a group effort.

  50. ADB,

    Congratulations to your son. I had a similar experience here also, I’ve sent my kids to karate classes as soon as they are in the acceptable age. I’ve told my wife to let them fight their own battles, unfortunately she has the habit of attacking the parents of the kids who bully them (literally going to their houses and raising hell). My boys are embarassed by this really. I hope she will listen to me eventually.

  51. Ellen thank you so much for being there to report to the world for us to learn “Here’s what happened” if it were not for the few committed reporters we would never know the injustice being done.
    For me, its a good example why this administration does not want the media around to report the facts. It gives greater meaning to the arrest and handcuffing at the Pen Hotel of ordinary reporters doing a job of reporting as a duty to the public.
    It also shows the extent that this administration and its followers (in this case the AFP) have gone but end up to paint themselves into a corner. It seems that in each court appearance the AFP are paining themselves into a tighter corner.
    This is what you get when you put a loser in command.

  52. Thanks Chi and Jug.

    School life can be brutal particularly for the young ones.

    Know what Jug, when my son was being bullied then, I felt exactly the same way as your wife — I wanted to “raise hell with the parents”, sure that the parents were responsible for the conditionning of the minds of children particularly at so young an age over the invasion of Iraq (and I admit that my husband and I were responsible for influencing our children that the Iraq invasion was wrong) but I held back; it wasn’t easy particularly when your son would come home on the verge of tears — but I knew that if I fought my son’s battles for him, he would not get the respect he wanted badly.

    My 16-yr old boy, now a lanky 1m85 cricket and rugby player is not a confrontational person, he’s actually a soft-spoken young man (like his Dad) and was captain of his school’s British Bulldog team that beat the Intl School’s American team in the final match before the game was made illegal two years ago — British Bulldog is a very old traditional, extremely physical, very rough and quite dangerous game that young English boys used to play.)

    My son has learned during his growing years that he’s got to fight his battles and stop bullies on their tracks before things got out of hand. He knows his parents can’t live his life for him.

    In the same vein, I believe Filipinos who are being bullied by miserable Gloria and her military henchmen have got to fight their own battles — no one but no one can fight their battles for them let alon live their lives for them.

  53. rose rose

    bakit ang daming guards na inalagay for Gen. Lim di ang labas nag military parade from Crame to Capinpin..to show off what the military can do or will do sa mga hindi sumusunod at lumalaban kay goria…nakakatawa naman sila..
    at bakit ihandcuff to take the four from their detention cell to the courtroom..to humiliate them..kanino sa mga tao?
    sino ngayon napahiya hindi sila Gen. Lim and Co..
    BB: haba an ang buntot ni Esperon para sa leeg ng kanyang minamahal sa buhay! (sino nga ba ang commander sa V. Luna Hosp. or yong commander sa palasyo?) mahirap intindihin.

  54. rose rose

    ..Gen. Lim & Co..keep up the good fight…keep confusing the enemy..and keep smiling..they will never know what you are up to kaya litong lito…Look at the face of Esperon hindi na maspelling kasi laging nakakunot!…Keep fighting and we will keep praying for you..

  55. One thing that surfaced in last Friday’s incident was the decency of Col. Marcos. A true soldier,trained to obey before complaining, I can sense his dilemma in carrying what he himself think is an unreasonable order.

    He had an order from headquarters (Col. Ireneo Espino) to handcuff the accused when they go to the courtroom. The accused refused. He did not insist. He just locked the gates so nobody would be able to go out without handcuffs as ordered.

    Fojas wanted some of the accused so they can railroad the trial. So the four were allowed.

    During the interrogation of Col. Marcos, Fojas scheme was revealed.

    I appreciate Col. Marcos’ disclosure about Fojas’ order.

    Naawa nga ako. When he was in the witness stand, he stressed “I’m an infantry officer.”

    He is a bemedalled combat officer. He is trained to fight those that seek to destroy the government. And now he is being used to humiliate fellow officers, some of them were his men fighting side by side against insurgents.

  56. Brownberry Brownberry

    Ellen, is this Col. Marcos related to the Marcos family?

  57. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Esperon and his gang is employing divide and rule tactics to drive wedges among officers and gentlemen of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Political generals like crooked AFP chief Esperon do not deserve respect in the AFP.

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