“THE lies that we have to say just to protect them.”
Jopay Sales related a story about her three-year-old twins, Frances Danielle and Daniel Francis, showing how the detention of her husband, Capt. Frederick Sales, has taken a toll on their family life.
A week before their graduation from nursery school last month, Frances and Daniel were in their school bus. Everybody was excited about the graduation ceremonies. The kids were looking forward to their parents going up the stage with them, especially those who would be receiving awards.
Daniel, an honor graduate, turned to an adult companion and asked, “Ate, paano yun si Daddy nasa barracks, nagti-training?”
Jopay said she was forced to lie to her kids about the real reason it was only she who went up the stage to pin the medals on them.
She said she did not have the heart to tell them that their father could not be with them every Sunday, like it used to be before February 2006 when AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon ordered her husband and 27 other officers detained in Camp Capinpin in Tanay.
Jopay said one evening after a court martial hearing in Tanay recently, she and Capt. Sales were seen on the early evening TV news.
The twins were excited. “I could not tell them that I was there because we have a problem,” Jopay said, adding she was thankful it was not a video footage showing the officers handcuffed to their guards.
One time, she said, Daniel asked her why his father’s training was taking so long. It was her daughter who answered, “Kasi nagpapagaling na soldier si Daddy.”
She said she does not know how to explain to her children why their father is accused of mutiny and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman when all these years he has been in the military, he tried to be a good soldier.
“The lies that we have to say just to protect them,” she sighed.
Jopay is not alone in her problem. The wives of other young officers detained for their alleged involvement in the 2006 foiled withdrawal of support from President Arroyo are in the same situation.
Two-year-old Jazen Cordero, son of 27-year-old 1Lt. Jacon Cordero, the youngest of the detained officers, thinks his father’s barbed wire-surrounded quarters is an office. Every time they go to Tanay to visit, Mazenith Cordero tells her son they are going to “Daddy’s office.”
Now, every time Jazen sees a fence with barbed wire, he says, “That’s Daddy’s office!”
“It’s heartbreaking,” Mazenith, a dentist, said. But she said she sensed that innocent as the mind of Jazen is (he has been evaluated as a probable-gifted child), he has an idea that there is something wrong.
There are nights when he would have nightmares, Mazenith said. One time, the boy woke up in the middle of the night, sweating and screaming, “Ilabas na si Daddy sa office!”
Fragile-looking Marlyn Divinagracia, wife of Lt. Ervin Divinagracia, said during one of their conjugal visits, their three-year-old daughter Francine led her father to the gate of his detention quarters (across the conjugal area) and said, “Bye, bye.”
“Ervin couldn’t hold back his tears,” Marlyn said.
Marlyn was six months pregnant in February 2006. It was bad enough that she had a problematic delivery of her second baby, Amiel Jude. She went through it without her husband by her side because Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino denied Lt. Divinagracia’s request for a pass to be with his wife.
Aside from the psychological trauma, it has been tough on them physically. Tanay is a good two to three hours overland from Manila and many of them do not have family cars.
Worse, the conjugal quarters in Tanay are hardly habitable. There are only eight private rooms for the 26 officers confined there. (Former Marines commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and former Scourt Rangers chief Brig. Gen. Danny Lim are housed in separate quarters.)
Many of the babies became sick after their Holy Week visit. It was not surprising given the hot and overcrowded quarters.
One of the wives wrote in my blog about the appalling conditions in Tanay.
“Life inside is a real hell that kids get sick. I just got back from the hospital with my kid because she had a viral infection after our visit in Tanay. The doctor said it is acquired airborne. You can just imagine how it is like being locked up inside with your kids. I told my kids their Daddy is ‘schooling’ but they asked why are we locked inside the conjugal area at 8 p.m. They (military leaders) are so paranoid they have to lock us inside despite all the guards and the multi-level cyclone wires around the whole detention area.”
Jopay, Marlyn and Mazenith confirmed the conditions described by the blog writer. Mazenith said she once asked the guard, “What if there’s fire, we are all locked up here?” The guards just dismissed her concern with “that will not happen.”
The blog writer continued. “I forgot how I answered my daughter. I just talked about something else. I know other mothers have the same problem because we all know our husbands did not do anything wrong.”
That was also the most difficult part for Jopay, Marlyn, and Mazenith because the pre-trial investigation report that is supposed to be the basis of the charges of mutiny (punishable by death) and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman (punishable by dismissal from service) recommended dismissal of both charges against their husbands and 17 other officers.
But Mazenith said if the military leadership thinks they are going to break them, they are wrong. She said they have found strength with each other.
“Our families have become bigger,” Marlyn said.
Jopay said, “If we overcome this, which we believe we will, we can survive anything.”
Photo captions; click on photos to enlarge:
(Upper photos) 1) Jopay Sales; 2) Sales twins: Frances Danielle and Daniel Francis; 3) Capt. Frederick Sales
(Lower photos) 1) Mazenith Corder with son Jazen; 2) Marlyn Divinagracia 3) Lt. Ervin Divinagracia.
This story is also in: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=73838
General Sepulturero Assperon should read this article and feel the experiences of the mothers while their husbands are being “detained illegally” by their CSAFP.
Ka Emil:
If Sepulturerong Assperon will bow on their demand he’ll be dethrone.He is matalinong gung-gong.
Ellen:
I think a copy of this article should be sent to Gloria Arroyo just to make sure she reads this article. She is a mother herself and I hope she still has the heart of a mother! If Esperon has a family, then please do send him also a copy.
After Mike Arroyo’s operation, I think he’ll have a lot of time to listen to this article and hopefully, his heartbeats are still normal! Sabi nga ni ping Lacson: Sana magbago ka na! (referring to Mike after the latter’s heart operation) Sana nga, Ping, magdilang anghel ka!
Gloria sinungaling and Esperon duwag are a tandem: they decent honest people to immitate them, i.e., for these decent mothers who don’t steal and cheat to lie to their children – am sure Gloria Tiyanak (who says she saw the image of the Virgin Mary in three rose petals – what a jerk) is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy everytime the mothers of these officers’ children have to lie to their kids.
Sabi niya, “Ayan panalo ako…” P£££$$$$$$$££££££$ina niya.
As far as FATSO is concerned, I don’t give a shit whether he dies or becomes invalid all his life. See what happens to the money he steal? He spends it on hospital bills. Ganid kasi. Makes not an iota of difference to me whether Gloria Tiyanak’s hubby dies tomorrow.
What people should be concerned about is what this couple of magnanakaw, sinunagling and mandaraya does to the officers whose spirit they cannot break.
I wonder what lies Gloria tells to her children and to her grandchildren? How can she feed them with the money that she steals from State coffers while millions of children in Pinas have hardly anything nutritious to eat.
I wonder whether how many lies she concocts every day to tell to her children and to her grandchildren.
Don’t they have “The Torture Compensation Act” in the Philippines?
If they do, these soldiers are entitled to a monetary compensation, if a claim of torture sustained in court, and the perpetrator of this inhuman treatment will be liable for their action.
Coming from work even on a Sunday, I was totally unprepared to read the “Lies moms have to tell detained officers’ kids. After I finished reading the thread, I just sit and stared lengthily at the monitor until I don’t see anything, its because I was crying. It took me quite sometime to touch the keyboard and was groping for words what to say. Whose mother’s heart will not be touched and shed tears on the plight of the military wives waving and making up stories just to satisfy their kids question where their fathers are?
A lot of musmos are involved in this charade of the Tianak and Assperon. Tianak has a family but refuses to recognize the traumas being experienced by the all the families of the accused soldiers for her political survival, which is most important to her. She wouldn’t touch this sensitive issue with a ten foot pole. Her life depends on Assperon and it clearly shows that she’s supporting her cheat-of-staff’s moro-moros all the way.
Musmos talks above should break the hearts of everyone with children (kahit nga walang anak) but not Assperon. Sabi nga ng isang blogger dito ay parang walang pamilya si Assperon kung tratuhin niya ang mga sundalo at pamilya nila. Idagdag ko lang na kahit may pamilya si Assperon ay tiyak na mas mahalaga sa kanya ang power at pera na sa kanyang pekeng commander lang niya makukuha.
The Tianak’s heart has been fully consumed with illegal powers, so I don’t give her any benefit of the doubt that she cares for these families.
Mas mabuti nga na lumaki ng lumaki ang pamilya ng mga sundalong ito, at magsimulang magsalita ang mga pamilya. Magigising na lang ang tandem na Tianak at Assperon na hindi na nila kayang sugpuin ang tapang ng mga kabiyak ng mga akusadong sundalo na nagtitimpi lang dahil sa mga anak na karamihan pala ay musmos.
I missed all my children being away from me even for a single day,how much more this brave soldiers.Their situation is heartbreaking and sickening!!
It breaks my heart to hear about this kind of injustice especially when it is all about preserving a criminal to her stolen position.
What an injustice indeed! I cannot actually contemplate this happening in Japan without anybody spilling blood to make the guilty be legally responsible and removed from their exalted positions.
I don’t see any reason why it cannot be done in the Philippines if worse comes to worst and there is
no way but to remove the Unano and her minions by force.
Right now, the Filipinos still has the election as a last resort. They should take advantage of this opportunity to boot out the Unano by NOT voting for the people she has paid to run against the real macoys. Huwag nang paloloko.
For example, those squatters who are being promised water again should no longer allow themselves to be hoodwinked by thinking that they owe it to the Unano they are having water. It is public service that should be provided them that they should not feel grateful to anybody but should learn to demand for, even for good service.
They should not feel grateful to this crook who has stolen from them not just once, nor twice but countless times now!!!
Sipain na si Assperon! Pag natanggal ang mga iyan ay makakabalik na ang mga ikinulong nila. Hopefully, their experience in jail has not made them bitter but better soldiers. Our sympathy goes to them and their loved ones.
It really makes me feel like puking thinking of the “kaplastikan” of the Unano during the recent reception for those kids hostaged by Ducat. Akala mo tunay na may malasakit sa mga batang iyon, pero dito sa pamilya at mga anak ng mga magigiting na sundalong ipinakulong niya balewala sa kaniya. Kakasuka talaga!!!
tanging ina ka talaga, gloria! bukod kang walang awa at damdamin sa lahat ng babaeng walanghiya!
sa tuwing sasalang sa combat assignments ang mga sundalo ay naiiwan ang pamilyang walang tigil ang pagdarasal na sana ay bumalik na wala kahit galos ang ama ng tahanang sa kanila ay nagbibigay lakas at patnubay. iyan ay naipagsisinungaling ng ina sa kanyang mga supling upang huwag mag-alala sa kaligtasan ng kanilang ama subalit ang kasalukuyang kalagayan ng mga opisyal na inihain na at inialay ang sariling mga buhay para sa kapakanan ng bayan ay isang makadurog damdaming napakahirap uli’t uliting bigyan ng ibang dahilan upang huwag laging itanong ng mga musmos, at ito ang hindi kailanman mararamdaman ng mag-among (gloria at esperon) kung ano ang itim ng mga budhi ay siyang tigas naman ng mga mukhang sagad sa kawalang awa’t kahihiyan!
There is an adage that says, “what comes around, goes around.”
Each day that Assperon’s karma has not hit him, is only an increase of the magnitude of his karma. We don’t have to look far..there’s a couple who thought they were invincible. Until one of them was struck by an ailment where only 5% survive. He’s in St. Luke’s now.
This is the most heart-rending blog you have written, Ellen. It is not only the soldiers that are suffering, nor only their families, but also the whole nation and the whole world who hear about this tragedy. For the sake of these children, we hope that the criminally-minded tiyanak and her ass-per-goon be jailed and the jail keys hurled to the depths of the stinking river.
One advice kay Mrs. Sales. Sabihin na niya ang katotohanan sa mga anak niya para hindi sila matotong magsinungaling! There is nothing wrong about telling them the truth dahil wala namang dapat na ikahiya sa ginawa ng ama nila na nasabit lang o ayaw pumayag na magpaloko sa isang kriminal at mga kakutsaba niya sa AFP. Ang dapat mahiya ay iyong mga asawa at anak ng mga naging heneral at magiging heneral pa sa paghalik ng puwit at p siguro ni Mrs. Pidal. Pwe! Natutukso tuloy tayong magkasala. Sobra talaga ang pagkademonya ni Unano!
Mrivera Says:
April 16th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
tanging ina ka talaga, gloria! bukod kang walang awa at damdamin sa lahat ng babaeng walanghiya!
***
Kagabi ko pa naiisip ‘yan, Mrivera. I was talking to myself while half-asleep. Sabi ko, si Tianak ay Tang-ina, the wives of the accused sundalos are mga Dakilang Ina!
Anyone who does not enjoy the innocence of these musmos, and not at all bothered by their forced unwanted situation is ‘manhid’. And the one pretending to be president has no right to even act as “mother of the nation”!
meron bang lalaking hindi marunong umiyak? o, baka nahihiya lamang ipakita ang tunay na damdamin kung mabagbag ang kalooban sa dinaranas ng mga mahal sa buhay ng magigiting na mga opisyal?
inaamin kong tumulo ang aking luha sa pagbasa ko sa pinagdadaanang ito lalo na ang mga maybahay na kailangan pang ipagkaila sa mga anak ang tunay na kalagayan ng kanilang mga amang ang tanging kasalanan (kung maituturing nga) ay ang pagsisiwalat ng katotohanan at pagtatatwa sa katiwaliang namamayani sa kasalukuyang administrasyon. nausal ko tuloy na mabuti pa nga sigurong umuwing duguan at sugatan buhat sa larangan o kaya’y magkapantay na ang paa’t hindi na makapangungusap kailanman kaysa ganitong niyuyurakan ang kanilang kagitingan.
nakakatulog pa kaya nang mahimbing ang kanilang mga pinunong ipinagpalit ang dangal ng pagkatao sa ginhawa’t kapangyarihang ipinangako ng huwad at sinungaling na umaastang pangulo?
MR, that’s also what the mother of Capt. Sales said. Had she seen her son staging a coup, it would have been easy for her to accept her son’s incarceration. Pero wala e.
Marlyn Divinagracia also said, they are used to having their husbands away, when they are on the field. And they accept that because that’s the life of a soldier. But in this case, they are not so far away, yet he can’t be with them.
A soldier’s life is most of the time away from his beloved family to secure the entire nation from harm. Under the poser president, it’s a complete opposite. Ang mga sundalo ay inilapit kay Glueria at Assperon sa Metro Manila para hindi makapagtanggol sa bansa kundi para kasuhan at ng hindi maging problema sa EK ni Tianak. Bahala na ang mga tunay na kaaway.
Malapit nga sa pamilya, nakikita naman ang hirap ng loob ng mga sundalo dahil hindi nila magawa ang iniatas na tungkulin sa kanilang balikat. Bukod dito ay nararamdaman nila at mga kabiyak, mga anak (buong pamilya) ang bigat ng kawalang respeto sa kanilang kagitingan ng mismong mga pinunong bugok!
It slipped my simple mind. Si Tianak at Assperon nga pala ang mga tunay na kaaway ng bansa! “Keep your enemies closer” nga pala ang strategy guide ng dalawang walanghiya!
Here’s a link that will show you how Gloria Tiyanak tries to outdo everyone, even the honourable mums here when it comes to lying (also speaking of children, see how Gloria effects her BABY STEPS, GIANT STRIDES: THE ROAD TO A POLICE STATE .
http://www.hotmanila.ph
As Hot Manila says, “Two years ago, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was a political lame duck flapping around trying to survive. Today, she’s still a political cripple, but with a difference. The lame duck has a machine gun.”
Ellen,
I wonder how much Ducky Paredes gets for this sort of plug for TU in his column:
“Widespread local support is one of the key strengths of Team Unity.
“In contrast, the Genuine Opposition can count on local support from only a few areas like Makati and San Juan. According to TU, there are no GO candidates in 70 percent of the local positions that will be contested on May 14. The way that TU strategists look at it, the failure of GO to field candidates in 68 congressional districts identifies GO to local officials as a weak party . Why should local politicians, then, join the GO bandwagon?”
The better question Anna is how much does Paredes get for lip serving now for the Pidals. Nauseating indeed!
What is lame paid ducky talking about?! Heheheh!
****
“A recently released Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey found 80 percent of Filipino voters nationwide are saying command voting does not prevail in their areas and that most people in their areas decide for themselves for whom to vote.”
http://www.tribune.net.ph/
It’s a dilemna. If they tell the truth about the situation of their daddies, it will go this way:
Child: why is dad in jail?
Mom: he’s accused of an offense
Child: what is his offense?
Mom: nothing
Child: then why he’s in jail?
Mom: they want to keep him there.
Child: Then why he’s there? Only bad persons go to jail. Did daddy do a bad thing?
Mom: No
Child: then why they keep him there?
it’s really very difficult to explain.
gusto ko lang magcomment sa sinabi ni AdBrux. ang duda ko, yung ibinabayad o ibabayad sa ospital sa operasyon at boarding ni pidal, siguradong galing kay juan de la cruz. pwedeng tseke nga ni pidal ang gagamitin, pero saan nanggaling, di ba sa pagkurakot nila sa kaban ng bayan?
bilang isang ina, nararamdaman ko ang sakit ng loob ng mga nanay na ito kung paano sagutin ang mga inosenteng tanong ng kanilang mga anak. hanggang kailan pa kaya magtitiis ang mga matitinong tao sa pamahalaan ni arroyo?
minsan tuloy, hindi maiwasang mag-isip, “natutulog ba talaga ang Diyos, at hanggang ngayon, pinapahintulutan niya ang mga nangyayari sa Pilipinas?”
Myrna:
Iyong tanong mo kung natutulog ba ang Diyos, ang sagot, “Hindi! Ang sabi nga ng matatanda, “Ang Diyos ay hindi natutulog!”
Kung wala pang sagot mula sa itaas, iyan ay dahil sa kulang sa dasal ang mga pilipino bagamat ang sabi nga kung may sampu nga ang na taimtim na magdarasal ay baka sumagot ang Panginoon. Remember iyong sagot ng Panginoon kay Abraham bago niya winasak ang Sodom at Gommorrah?
Kailangan din siguro ng mga pilipino ang magkaroon ng leksyon kaya ganito ang pahirap sa kanila ngayon. Maganda ang bagsak pagnagkataon ng mga Pidal. Isang napakalaking lagapak! Walang duda diyan. Baka bloody pa nga ang kalabasan. Ala-Hitler ang labas niya!
Hi! Puede bang sumali? Pero hinding saling pusa huh? Gloria has children, doesn’t she? She is a mother isn’t she? She should know the feelings of a mother and should know how these moms feel. Pero bakit ganyan siya? Seguro anak lang siya ng anak pero walang puso ng isang ina. I can’t say Esperon knows the feeling of a mother because lalaki siya. Pero ang tunay na lalaki would know how a mother feels. Kasi may nanay naman siya na nagmahal sa kanya ng tunay. He experienced the love of a mother. Tunay na lalaki ba siya o nakapantalon lamang? We know that the difference between a human being and an animal is that a human being has a soul and a conscience. He knows what is right and what is wrong. And God gave him the freedom to choose.And when he chooseS to do what he knows is wrong HE SINS- NAGKAKASALA! An animal has no soul- he acts on his animal instincts. Kaya hayop. Are their hearts made of steel? or are made to steal (pera or damdamin)? Or did their hearts stand still- kaya ganyan? Anong say mo?
Spy Says:
It’s a dilemna. If they tell the truth about the situation of their daddies, it will go this way:
*******
The sequel….
Son: Mom why people in jail?
Mom: They should be because they committed a crime.
Son: Crime?
Mom: Yes son, they staged a mutiny accusing me of not functioning my duty. They keep on writing and broadcasting that I have cheated the election, called-up Garci. Implicating your father in fertilizer fund mess. I don’t even have the idea why Atong Ang was extradited and why Bolante can’t, huh..! They are marching on the streets with bad slogan, though I came to power just because of the streets, huh..! That’s why Palparan is doing his best. Who cares son, I have my Aces, I returned Daniel Smith and passed the anti terror bill to pleased my master.
Son: That was long mom…, now I know, that’s why people in jail because they are telling the truth. Right mom?
Mom: Sssshhh..! sleep now son, question no more, tsup!
rose,
calling esperon a BEAST is more appropriate than comparing him to an animal that knows how to take care and defend its young.
a BEAST has no shame, soul and conscience.
MR- Thanks. Tama ka. Kaya lang kung sabihin na Beast si
Esperon, baka sabihin naman ni Gloria na Beauty siya- in Beauty and The Beast. The term then is- HALIMAW siya. And it would be Ang kalalagim na Mga Ginagawa ni DRACULA at ng HALIMAW- at ng mga tuta nila. A Horror story… and to the of the military Wife-thank you for telling us your story. Stand Up and Tell your Horror Stories. Incidentally, this was what the International Woman Journalist Representative said at the International Federation of Women Day at the UN which was attended by many and with the UN President. STAND UP AND TELL YOUR STORY. And more power to you- the truth is your power.
rose,
eto ang perfect combination term para sa dalawang ‘yan.
the bubuwit and the beast.
“THE lies that we have to say just to protect them.”
honest lies meant not pollute the youngsters’ understanding and belief, but a must to keep their fragile sanity in tact.
Frank Chavez will file for a temporary restraining order for the Esperon-convened special general court martial tomorrow at the Supreme Court at 11 a.m.
Letter from a wife of one of the detained Marine officers:
Ellen, I just read that Honasan may be out on bail. The courts are slowly redeeming themselves. I hope the incarcerated officers will be vindicated by the supreme court. Let us all pray for this. You are right, it is God’s will and not anyone’s. Thy will be done!