Military – Page 21 – ellen tordesillas

AWOL

Published by Ellen on May 16, 2009

Ibig sabihin ng AWOL ay Absence without leave. Nag-absent ka sa trabaho na walang paalam.

Sa military malaking kasalanan yan at iyon ay paglabag ng Articles of War 58 at 59. Oo nga naman. Biruin mo kung may giyera at biglang umalis ka ng walang paalam. Di maiwan ang mga kasama mo doon na makipaglaban sa kaaway.Court martial ang bagsak ng isang miyembro ng military na nag-AWOL.

AWOl ang ikinaso ng Philippine Navy kay Ltsg. Nancy Gadian. Maganda ito kasi mabubuhay ang AWOL ni Maj. Gen. John Martir na magiging marine commandant sa sunod na buwan daw.

AFP whistleblower’s arrest is ordered

Published by Ellen on May 15, 2009

Related stories on GMA-7 online:

Gadian denies “lavish spending” charge
Navy to lift order if Gadian turns herself in
AFP widens probe on Balikatan mess

by Victor Reyes and Wendell Vigilia
Malaya

The military has ordered the arrest of Lt. (s.g.) Nancy Gadian, the Navy officer who has exposed alleged corruption involving funds for the RP-US Balikatan exercises in 2007, for breaching military discipline.

She was also declared a “deserter” after going AWOL (absence without official leave), the military said in a briefing yesterday.

Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy spokesman, said Gadian will be restricted to Navy headquarters where she is attached unassigned.

Querubin registers as voter in La Union

Published by Ellen on May 13, 2009

Early this morning, with the permission of AFP Chief Victor Ibrado, Col. Ariel Querubin traveled to La Union to register as a voter in preparation…

Eye to eye contact

Published by Ellen on May 7, 2009

Maj. Gen. John Martir’s appearance at the court martial hearing last Tuesday of the mutiny case against 28 officers led by Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and Brig. Gen. Danny Lim was enlivened by side incidents. Otherwise, it was boooring.

Before Martir was brought in, the nine accused Marine officers namely Maj. Gen Renato Miranda;Col Ariel Querubin; Col Januario Caringal; Col Orlando de Leon; Col Armand Bañez; Lt.Col Custodio Parcon;.Lt. Col. Achilles Segumallian; Maj Domingo Fernandez; and Lt Belinda Ferrer, the lone military female detainee, positioned themselves in front of the defense lawyers directly opposite the witness who would be sitting near the end of the panel’s table.

In the courtroom at the Daza Park, the accused are seated together enclosed by steel railings in the middle of the room. Some ten feet away from them are members of the panel seated behind a long table in an elevated portion of the room. Between the accused and the panel members are the lawyers seated on opposite sides.

Tale of the absurd

Published by Ellen on April 28, 2009

When the story first came out last week about a group of Magdalo soldiers arrested while on a shooting training in Clark, I had a hunch paranoia got the better of government authorities again and that the activity might have something to do with job in war-torn foreign countries.

I had done some stories on private armies providing security for contractors servicing the United States military and their allies in Iraq and Afghanistan like Blackwater and DynCorp and I know that they have applied for permission to use some parts of the former US bases, Clark and Subic, for training their personnel.

Since the job was security in a hostile environment, those companies prefer applicants with military and police training. It was not a surprise to me the soldiers were Magdalo members.

Wanted: Witnesses

Published by Ellen on April 26, 2009

Court martial hearings of the 28 officers charged with mutiny for a non-event in February 2006 are opportunities for Manila-based family members of those detained in Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal to meet.

One of those who always goes to Daza Park in Camp Aguinaldo every time there’s a hearing is Renzo Guinolbay, five-year old son of Capt. Ruben Guinolbay, known to many as the “hero of Lamitan” when he and his men battled with the Abu Sayyaf group who were holding the Dos Palmas hostages in 2001.

Renzo does not know that his father is under detention. He thinks that his father is undergoing training in Tanay.

In the hearing last April 17, Renzo came with his cousins, who were curious why there were so many soldiers in the area. Renzo said, “Oh, they are guarding my father’s class.” He thinks that his father and other officers are in a class because the setup in the courtroom is that all the accused are seated at the center of the room, surrounded by steel railings.

Prosecution wants to change rules in the middle of the game

Published by Ellen on April 25, 2009

Update of the mutiny case against 28 officers in connection with the February 2006 alleged withdrawal of support from Gloria Arroyo following revelations of the military’s role in the tampering of election results as heard in the “Hello Garci” tapes:

The prosecution asked that the charge sheet, which focused on the Feb. 23, 2006 activities, be amended to include the Feb. 26 Fort Bonifacio standoff because their witnesses can only speak about the Feb. 26 standoff.

The court denied the motion to amend the charges.

More of this on Monday.

Photo caption:

Yano being pushed out?

Published by Ellen on April 23, 2009

Related stories in Malaya:

Yano, Luna nominated for ambassadorial posts

AFP chief leaving ahead of retirement

Yesterday, text messages went around that the turnover rites of outgoing AFP Chief Alexander Yano to incoming AFP Victor Ibrado will be on May 1, 44 days earlier than his scheduled retirement of June 13.

We also got information that Yano’s vice chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna, who will retiring in September this year, will also be retiring on May 1.

It is not unusual for the turnover rites for the AFP chief to be held a few days before the end of term of outgoing chief but one-and-a-half months early? That’s tantamount to shortening a military officer’s term of service. In Gloria Arroyo’s senseless revolving door policy, that’s good for one full term of an AFP chief.

Dasal para sa Abu Sayaff hostages at sa bayan

Published by Ellen on April 1, 2009

Sana paglabas ng kulom na ito ay nakabalik ng ligtas sina Mary Jean Lacaba Filipina), Andreas Notter (Swiss) at Eugenio Vagni (Italian), ang tatlong International Red Cross (IRC) workers ha hawak ng bandidong grupong Abu Sayaff.

Habang sinusulat ko ito (Miyerkules ng umaga), walang balita na may napugutan sa kanila na siyang banta ni Albader Parad, ang lider ng grupo na may hawak sa tatlong hostages sa kanyang. Sabi ni Parad, pupugut siya ng ulo ng isang hostage kapag hindi nag-pull out sa Sulu ang military ng alas 2 ng hapon Marso 31.

Ayun kay Sulu Governor Sakur Tan, nang tanungin noong Martes ng hapon si Parad kung may ginawa silang masama sa mga hostages, ang sagot ay “Wala akong masabi.” Kaya, hindi talaga natin alam kung ano ang nangyayari doon sa bundok ng Jolo.

Unspeedy trial

Published by Ellen on March 26, 2009

Click on each of the pictures to view them enlarged.

At the court martial hearing of the 28 officers accused of mutiny for a February 2006 non-event last Feb. 26, it was agreed that the next hearing would be on March 10, 2009.

A day before March 10, the lawyers of the accused were notified that the hearing would be on March 20. No explanation was given why the agreed hearing on March 10 would not push through.

March 20 came and all the lawyers and the accused (except for two officers) were present at the Daza Park hall in Camp Aguinaldo. But there were only three members of the panel who would be hearing the case: Maj. Gen. Jogy Fojas, Commodore Ramon Punzalan and law member Col. Marian Aleido, when there should at least be four of them to constitute a quorum. One member was out of the country. Even the trial judge advocate could not explain the absence of the other members of the panel.

Category: Military