A kin of one of the detainees in Camp Capinpin shared with us this cute story:
A week after the world celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ in a manger more than 2,000 years ago, the officers detained in Camp Capinpin were overseeing the birth of man’s best friends. Eleven of them.
Tuesday night, Col. Ariel Querubin’s female bull mastiff, Jenny, gave birth to 11 puppies.
This was the account of one of detainees’ relatives: “We are all excited but Jenny had a hard time. Eleven puppies.
“The scene was so funny. Marine Lt. Belinda Ferrer (the only female detainee in the whole AFP) and the Rangers were the ones assisting Sir Ariel. They knew what to do. I didn’t know they were all trained midwives. The rest of the Marines were cheering and counting.”
Like a proud relative, the source also said of the baby Mastiffs, “They are all beautiful! They come from a noble bloodline and born to a nationalist environment.”
It’s refreshing to hear stories that show the gentle side of these battle-scarred officers. Charmaine Deogracias of NHK TV said, “This was what they missed – being in delivery rooms when their wives gave birth while they were out in the battlefield cradling their guns.”
Prison life indeed has a way of bringing out gems in a person otherwise submerged and untapped when one was busy surviving and getting ahead in the rat race we call life.
Querubin, a medal of valor awardee, and 27 other Marines and Rangers are detained in connection with the February 2006 alleged plan to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in the wake of the Hello Garci exposé that she used the military to cheat in the 2004 elections. The highest-ranking officers among the detainees are Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda (who is detained separately from the rest but also in Camp Capinpin) and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim (who is now detained at the PNP Custodial Detention Center with the Magdalo officers because of the Nov. 20 Manila Pen incident). Capt. Dante Langkit of the Army Special Forces is detained at the Intelligence Security Group compound at Fort Bonifacio.
Jenny’s 11 puppies (all shiny brown) are the latest addition to the animal population explosion in Camp Capinpin’s CMU. I was told that Querubin’s female Labrador retriever, Julie, gave birth to 14 puppies last week fathered by Maj. Leomar Jose Doctolero’s Ranger, who is a handsome black Lab.
The affable Lab seems to be the officers’ favorite pet. Marine colonels Custodio Parcon, another medal of valor awardee, and Orlando de Leon both have Labradors. So do Army Rangers Capt. Erick Sales, Capt. William Upano, and Lt. Sandro Sereño.
Capt. James Sababan has a mini-pincher. Lt. Col. Nestor Flordeliza has a cute shitzu. Col. Parcon has another dog, a poodle.
But the most vain of all the canine population at the detention center is Pudz, Lt. Ferrer’s poodle. Pudz, who is the son of Maj. Doctolero’s Nova, is always well-groomed and smelling good.
Dogs are not the only denizen’s in the CMU’s animal world. Cordillerans Captains Ruben Guinolbay and Joey Fontiveros have goats, ducks, chickens, and turkeys.
The officers have also engaged in gardening. They grow their own bananas, papayas and other vegetables. Not only that, some have even gone into furniture- making.
The CMU now, green and alive with all the varied sounds of life, is far cry from the harsh, desolate place that Gen. Lim and Maj. Jason Aquino, the first inhabitants of the detention center, found almost two years ago. The severe living conditions were meant to break the spirit of the officers.
It is a credit to the officers’ resiliency and strength of character that they have transformed what was meant to be a place of deprivation into something that celebrates life and the triumph of human spirit against formidable odds,
Last Dec. 30, the officers were informed unofficially that they would be transferred to Fort Bonifacio – the Marines to the Brig and the Rangers to the Army CMU. The transfer may have something to do with the court martial hearings that are expected to be held several times a week starting next week. Or it could have something to do with the unresolved restiveness among the armed forces still related to the Nov. 29 incident.
Soldiers are used to being transported from one place to another. It’s the least of the officers’ worries if the leadership feels insecure about their detention in faraway Tanay. Their concern now is, would the military have enough cages to transport Jenny and her 11 babies, Julie and her 14 kids, Pudz and his whole grooming paraphernalia, and the rest of their dogs, goats, chicken, ducks, and turkeys?
11 puppies? Whoa! Who attended to the mother? Wish Col Querubin had called my sister!
Well they can now hold set up an AFP or Camp Capinpin Kennel Club and hold a dog show.
I had a pair of Bull Mastiff which I shipped to my sister, a vet, when I was finding it difficult to keep them because we were always moving homes for job reasons.
Sister in Pinas.
Congrats, Jenny!
“They are all beautiful! They come from a noble bloodline and born to a nationalist environment.” Ha!Ha!Ha! Really beautiful!
It’s the kind of happiness that Gloria can’t understand and experience, she has no heart kasi!
wow!!.. i love animals.wish i was there to see all of them.
Wish I could get one labrador. I asked one of the marine wives the names of the dogs in Tanay. As far as she could remember, here are some:
1. Ariel Q – Jenny (lab), Julie (bull mastiff)
2. Jojo dL – Kosa (lab)
3. Toto P (Parcon) – Mar (lab), Chloe (poodle)
4. Nes F – Chinky and Cheeny (shitzu)
5. Leo D – Ranger (lab)
6. Sandro S- Chow (lab)
7. Beng F – Pudz (poodle), Madz (lab, KIA for too much eating)
8. James S – Dorie (lab)….and many more
“It is a credit to the officers’ resiliency and strength of character that they have transformed what was meant to be a place of deprivation into something that celebrates life and the triumph of human spirit against formidable odds”
Yes, and the utterly wicked powers-that-(shouldn’t) be won’t be able to take that resiliency and strength of character away…
No way that these detained officers should leave their pets (hindi sa pinangungunahan ko)!
In short, No Pets, NO Transfer! Ok ba?
The info I got was, they would be allowed only one pet each.
Ellen:
Lt. Ferrer is not the only female detainee in the whole AFP. Capt. Candelaria Rivas is also a detainee at ISAFP. At least officially, because a cursory check reveals that she is often not at her detention cell, although her cases are ongoing. Unofficially, suspicions have been raised that she was an ISAFP agent used to bring in Capt. Faeldon in 2006.
Isama ko narin ang ang mga tuta ko sa haus sina GMA at Trillanes pare kumpleto ang tropa sa Tanay.
Sayang nga bali apat yon eh sina Chavit at Erap eh sumakabilang buhay na eh ang natira eh sina GMA at AT4 lang.
Mga bigtime ang ipinangalan ko sa 4 doggie ko, but GMA at AT4 eh still alive at they are growing big na.
Meron kami ditong ASKAL (asong kalye) ang pangalan ESPE. Meron ding PUSAKAL (pusang kalye) ang pangalan GLORIA. Si ESPE kulang ng isang itlog habang si GLORIA labas ang isang ngipin. Mukhang rabbit yung pusakal namin dito kaya kung minsan ang tawag namin GLORIBIT.
Hi Subatz,
Happy 2008 to you!
Astig yong mga pets ha.
Tutal napag-uusapan lamang natin ito eh hirit pa tayo. Ilang buwan na lamang eh manganganak na itong mother ni GMA at AT4, kaya for sure pag boyz yon eh ang ipapangalan ko ay barrais, esperon, martir puro bigtime.
Kaya kung mapapasyal ka sa bahay eh ang mga bantay ko eh sina tita Glo at AT4 para check & balance mahirap na baka itong si GMA eh magliwaliw atleast nandoon si AT4 para makapagsumbong.
Yan naman pala maraming magagandang lahi ng aso diyan sa Capinpin.
Bakit hindi nila palahian kay Esperon?
Walanghiya yung mga alaga ni Sulbatz, hahaha! Pusang usli ang ngipin, waaaa!
Ingat pag dumalaw si Pandak diyan.
Baka lumipat yung garapata!
Ang lupit mo, Tongue.
Cruelty to animals ‘yan! Palahian kay Asspweron. Hahahaha!
Tongue,
Sabi ng mga tiga-Tanay, may TASTE daw ang mga aso nila. Di raw magpapalahi sa Asong Kalye na si Esperon. heheheheh
Sulbatz,
Bwahaha! Asong kalye na, bahag pa ang buntot!
Baka maulol yan!
chi,
Naku, pag nahuli ko si Esperon na tinitira yung bull mastiff ni AQ, bubudburan ko ng asin! Doon!
Anyone interested with hushpuppies whelped Newyears eve. A stray cat is also available for disposition with 4 new litters to replace those massacreds if possible. The tom cat next door is also to go.
Honestly, conditions never allowed me to have pedigreed pets especially dogs and cats. Although for a time there was this cat that I saw on the terrace of one of the apartments I lived in, I fed it sardines and rice (made it part of my budget then) in the morning when I wake up and at night when I arrive from work. It wasn’t MY cat, it was its own cat, comes and goes as it pleased, it was a pusang bubong. This went on for some time (more than a year or so) until it stopped coming, wonder what happened to it? I called it Meeming by the way, actually thats what I call all cats.
“It’s the kind of happiness that Gloria can’t understand and experience, she has no heart kasi!”
chi, kahit kailan ay hindi makakaranas ng tunay na kaligayahan ‘yang si gloria. ang alam lang kasi niyan at kung paano lilinlangin ang taong bayan at pagpasasaan ang kaban. pera lamang ang nakapagpapasaya sa ganid na ‘yan!
walang puso’t kaluluwa. walang damdamin at pakiramdam.
sinungaling pa!
huwag kayong mga salbahe!
igalang naman ninyo ang dalawang ‘yan. si hermohernia esPWEron bilang marangal na SHIT of staff ng armed forces of the pidals at si gloria dorrat arroyo bilang prisidinti ng repablik of the cebu.
isang napakalaking kalapastanganan ang ipangalan sila sa pusa at aso. alalahanin ninyo, sila ay mga namumuno sa ating bansa kaya marapat lamang na sila ay pag-ukulan ng paggalang.
teka, saan ba ang lababo? inaalibadbaran ako! masusuka ako!
nakupo! ano ba itong mga pinagsasabi ko?
“It is a credit to the officers’ resiliency and strength of character that they have transformed what was meant to be a place of deprivation into something that celebrates life and the triumph of human spirit against formidable odds.”
It simply shows it’s not easy to put good men down.
Imprisonment can either break or strengthen a person. Apparently it has strengthen all the more the men of honor in Camp Capinpin.
Isipin nyo na lang, mga idol, pinakahaba na ang two years. The future looks bright for you. For Gloria and Esperon, as dark as the night.
Kakatuwa naman ang mga aso nila.
We’ve had many askals over the years, primarily to eat leftovers we couldn’t dispose of without feeling “nakokonsyensiya”. When I finally decided to own a pedigreed one, I chose to buy an all-black Cocker Spaniel. I looked at the ads and found only 2 sellers: one, a vet and the other, the president of Philippine Canine Club.
I went to see the PCCI president’s house to check on his litters. They looked black alright but closer inspection made me curious, the towels that wrapped them had black stains. I held one in my hand, and some of the dye, I think, smeared my hand! I just told the guy I’ll call him back after I check on the other ad.
I went to the vet, checked his pup and I noticed that the black fur was shinier than the dyed ones. This one was genuine. He showed me the Spaniel’s PCCI-registered card and saw that the studs’ and bitches’ bloodlines were all red (dog-show show champions). I bought it with my lifetime savings (still a teenager back then).
But ignorant me, Shredder was supposed to be my first “investment”, I didn’t know that I couldn’t make any breeding profit from it at all: it had no balls! That was a quick lesson in investing I learned the hard, expensive way: when buying a male for breeding, check the balls!
Looking back, I should have named him Esperon!
Ha! Ha! Ha!
Tongue,
Actually, esperon has a dangling replica of what you call “balls”. However, he has no breeding.
Ate ellen just read the article and i was inspired by what you wrote. Prison life indeed has a way of bringing out gems in a person otherwise submerged and untapped when one was busy surviving and getting ahead in the rat race we call life.
Totoo talaga na “at times of adversity comes character” and what you described above is one of the gems that come out.
I know the guys are enjoying and at the same time, continue to sharpen the saw and learning from their experiences.
To Sir Ariel Q. congratulations! Lolo ka na! hehehehehe. joke lang po.
Asintado ka Sulbatz: “…However, he has no breeding.” Wahahaha!
Zero-zero sa elevation and windage ang sniping rifle mo, pahiram niyan.
klingon,
As far as i know si Cpt Rivas hindi sya naka detained. She’s under custody lang ng ISAFP. malinaw kasi na ang pagkakasabi ni Mr Bacarro na ang tanay is the AFP Detention and Custodial Center. For info too, walang naka detained na pedeng maglaro ng badminton sa GHQ gym at pedeng gumala sa labas. Kung naka detained sya sa ISAFP sana kagaya nila former Navy Cpt Trillanes ang status niya na hindi pedeng lumabas ng prison cell gaya ng mga nasa tanay ngayon.
Anyway, its good to know na meron silang pinagkaka abalahan kasi sa sitwasyon nila mahirap ang magpatay ng oras at panahon. Dito nga lang sa work hirap nang paabutin ng 5 pm buti nalang may internet.
Happy new year sa lahat.
sulbatz,
ang cute siguro ng aso at pusa nyo dyan?
tanong lang may nunual din ba yong pusa nyong si glo..?
hehehe
ate ellen,
tanong ko lang. kamusta naman ang pasko at bagong taon nila sa tanay?
gaano pa ba katagal yang court martial nilang walang ka-kwenta kwenta?
d ba sila nasasayangan sa mga naka kulong na magagaling at magigiting na opisyal?
i’ve heard single pa si Lt Ferrer pano na sya mag aasawa nyan kung hanggang 2010 sila ikukulong?
Masaya naman raw ang kanilang pasko at new year.
Hearings for the court martial will resume on Friday, Jan. 11. Hindi natin alam, kung hanggang kailan.
juandelacruz:
Galing ng info mo. Panay badminton nga ni Rivas, kalaro pa niya mga taga JAGO!
hi klingon:
oo naman kasi ang matalik kong kaibigan ay taga JAGO din. minsang ininvite nya nga akong maglaro sa badminton court nila sa GHQ tinuro nya sakin si Cpt Rivas muntik na nga naming maka set kaso mahiyain ako eh.
yong kumpare ko ang nag uupdate sakin ng info about sa mga nasa Tanay kasi kahit sya d nya gusto yong ginawang pag mamanipula sa kanila. sabi nga nya malas nya kasi d sya napunta sa kaso ng mga nasa tanay para makatulong daw sana sya kahit papano.
sya din nga ang nagkwento sakin na sana daw si Lt. Ferrer ay i-under custody nalang sa ISAFP o kung saan man gaya kay Cpt Rivas. Dahil sa AFP Custodial and Detention Center sa Tanay, Rizal ay nag iisang babae lang si Lt. Ferrer don among all the Marines and Rangers accused to add the sentinel na nag babantay sa kanila walang sentinel na babae don for her.
naiinis lang kaming dalawa pag napapag usapan yong mga nasa Tanay kasi double standard sila.
The best solution would be to release Lt. Ferrer. Wala naman talagang kasalanan, eh.