The way the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police is handling the case of former Corporal Walter Francisco shows the danger of giving power to incompetent and insecure people. To cover up their inadequacies, they resort to wickedness.
The Q.C. Regional Trial Court has approved the release of Francisco on bail, who has been in detention for more almost four months. Until his transfer to the Quezon City jail last March 11, Francisco was held in solitary confinement at the ISAFP compound in Camp Aguinaldo.
To secure a bail bond, Francisco needs his identification card to be submitted to the bonding company. His ID was confiscated by the CIDG when he was arrested and police refuse to release it. Their reason: they need it for evidence.
“Evidence of what?” a flabbergasted Trixie Angeles, lawyer of Francisco, asked.
Francisco is one of the five Scout Rangers who were arrested last January allegedly for illegal possession of firearms, at the time when the military was trying to hype a coup d ‘etat on the 22nd anniversary of the first People Power and AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon was trying to justify his extension of service (which he got). The four others arrested were Army Rangers Sgt. Orlando Valencia, Corporals Ramon Perania, Redantel Maranan, and a civilian driver Kim Agas.
Valencia, Perania, and Francisco were part of the 40 Scout Rangers enlisted personnel detained without charges for almost two years in Camp Capinpin in Tanay together with the 28 Army and Marine officers implicated in the alleged plan to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo following the “Hello Garci” exposè where Arroyo was heard discussing with former Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano how to tamper the 2004 elections results in her favor.
Their imprisonment was to pressure them to testify against their officers led by Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim. When they refused, they were dishonorably discharged.
They thought that was the end of their persecution in the hands of Esperon and his cohorts. But they were mistaken because last Jan. 15, Francisco was at the boarding house of fellow Scout Ranger Maranan when CIDG elements arrived and arrested him together with Perania, who was boarding with Maranan, and Valencia and Agas ,who were also visiting.
The script was so badly written. CIDG said the five were supposed to have been caught transporting firearms despite the fact that no firearms were found in the boarding house. They were charged with illegal possession of firearms.
At the preliminary investigation conducted by the Department of Justice, the CIDG presented three rusty firearms- an AK-47 and two M16s. Under the law, a person has to personally possess an illegal firearm to be guilty of illegal possession. Angeles said there is no such thing as “constructive possession of illegal firearms.
Since, there were only three firearms, Valencia and Perania were immediately released. The CIDG insisted that Maranan, Francisco and Agas were caught holding the firearms. Agas was allowed to post bail. Maranan was charged in a court martial for absence without leave and continues to be in the custody of the military’s intelligence unit.
Three weeks ago, Angeles filed a motion with the Quezon City RTC to compel the CIDG to release Francisco’s ID. To this day, Francisco is still waiting for his ID.
The PNP’s website says the CIDG, its primary investigative agency, is “ manned by the best qualified and highly motivated professionals in search for truth and justice.”
Keeping one’s ID to deny him the temporary freedom approved by the court is not the actuation of “a professional in search for truth and justice.” It is gross injustice.
* * *
Another victim of injustice is 1Lt. Artemio Raymundo, Jr. who has been in detention at the Marine Brig in Fort Bonifacio for more than one and a half years. His offense? Sharing with his colleagues DVD he happened to get for free at the LRT station. The titles? One was “Ang Mabuhay para sa Masa, a biopic of former President Estrada and the other was “At All Costs” about the rigging by Gloria Arroyo of the 2004 elections.
Last March, more than one and half years after Raymundo was ordered detained, the Philippine Navy Judge Advocate General headed by Capt. Christopher Cumbal, conducted a pre-trial hearing. Cumbal told the lawyers of Raymundo that they would come up with a resolution on the case a week after.
That was more than a month ago and no resolution has been released by the Navy JAG.
Article in the Manila Tribune on Cpl Walter Francisco. Click here.cpl-walter-francisco.doc
This is unthinkable!
Esperon has hit rock bottom — he’s just the most despicable armed forces of recent times; he’s cruel, he’s unjust, he’s a thief, a liar and a criminal — the symbol of the worst military dog; his friends and colleagues should be ashamed to know such a man.
Abominable creature!
Ayusin naman sana ni Yano, kung siya ang papalit kay Asspweron, kaagad ang ganitong kaso ng gross injustice sa mga sundalo. Napaka-unfair naman ang trato na ganyan sa kanila na walang anumang kasalanan.
I’m not giving up on Yano yet. But he was the one who discharged Francisco and five other on Christmas day last year.Maybe to gain brownie points to GMA. click here for that story.
But you are right. No one could be more wicked than Esperon.
I remember what Yano did to Francisco and 5 others last Christmas and I really hated him for that papogi. But I will set aside my negative feelings toward him if he can be just and fair to officers and soldiers accused of false charges. If not and he would just follow Asspweron’s footsteps, hindi rin ako magsasawang murahin siya.
Chi, I feel the same way about Yano when he discharged the 40 enlisted men on Christmas day. Then one of the bloggers here said that Christmas may not be that eventful to some religious denominations. This was probably Yano’s initiation into the “hall of shame” of the assperon and the evil bitch! But since then, I rarely hear anything from Yano except when he was interviewed on the Mayuga report. Yano indicated that he will not open the Mayuga report on his watch. He says that the evil bitches’ legitimacy evolved through several processes. In other words, Yano acknowledges the evil bitches presidency.
In the famous “walk” for support to the evil bitch, Yano was NOT next to asspweron! That made me wonder if he is really “like” asspweron. I hope NOT for the sake of the AFP! The AFP needs to be rid of their “prostitute” generals who get paid with money or juicy position every time these vultures rape our constitution just to follow the wishes of the evil bitch!
Asspweron’s style is to sacrifice his men to get what he wants! He did it with the Tanay Boys including the discharged enlisted men and now to Ex enlisted man Francisco and Lt Raymundo. Asspweron had to cook up something quick so he could be assured the extention to the detriment of the five discharged enlisted men who found themselves together in one place so they could save money on lodging while they were looking for jobs.
The many persecution may only increase the ranks of the dissidents hopping a ride with organized vehicles one of which is the NPA. Remember Corpus? Jarque? They came back to hold respected positions.
Take note of the new photo of Sen. Trillanes and his wife, Arlene. I’m still looking for the photo of Lt. Raymundo.
Minsan napag-usapan namin dito sa simbahan yung pelikula ni Sylvester Stallone na John Rambo.
Sabi ko sa kanila, yung pelikula kung papanoorin mo para lang sa entertainment, boring, walang laman kungdi barilan. Idinagdag ko, kung ito ay papanoorin mo na bukas ang iyong diwa, may mahihita ka sa mga makikita mong scenes.
Ito dapat ang pinanonood ng bawat Pilipino sundalo man o hindi at pagnilaynilayan niya yung katagang “Sometimes we live for nothing; sometimes we die for something.”
Golberg,
Hubby and I liked that movie. In fact, we had the same comment as yours. Gandang-ganda ako sa message at aksyon.
Naku mga Tsong, maawa naman po kayo sa mga taong kinakawawa ninyo!
Ang gandang pelikula di ba Chi?!
Sa mga di marunong manood violence lang iyon. Pero dun sa mayroon ng wisdom and understanding and conviction, its worth thinking about it again and again.
Sana pasensyoso nga ang mga Pilipino at hindi yung naduduwag na. Kung babalikan yung pelikula, hindi nagkakalayo yung sitwasyon sa pelikula at sa tunay na nangyayari dito sa atin dahil sa isang pekeng pangulo.
Esperon should rot in hell. Having used these men for his coup scenario, he now has positioned himself as GMA’s savior. The Cabinet shakeup is in part due to him. In the meantime men like Fransisco will continue to do legal battle to clear their names. And because of the planted evidence, they run a very real risk of serious jail time.
Is there any agency of the government that we can go to address this rampant show of injustice by Assperon? If there is none, then its time to have a vigilante group to take them out or put it to the hands of the people in the street. We cannot win just by complaining and complaining to each other. God bless our people and our country.
Geronimo: Many people in this forum don’t just complain. There are others here who are relatives and friends of the detainees. They make sacrifices everyday for these heroes. The lawyers of these men are also heroic. Many of them are pro bono or paid only enough to pay for gasoline and xerox. These people are actually doing something. And they read this blog.
Dr.Kwak Says:
“Naku mga Tsong, maawa naman po kayo sa mga taong kinakawawa ninyo!”
who were you referring to???
kahit sino ang pumalit kay assperon ganon pa rin yun, same dog with different collar that came from pma
masakit man tanggapin tayong mga pilipino ay malabong umasenso, bakit dahil sa ugali nating wait and see, isusubo muna nating ang ibang tao pag tagumpay saka lang tayo papasok. hindi nating kayang magsabay-sabay sa paglaban sa katiwalian dahil tuso tayo.
Bayong, you hit it right on! Ang mga Magdalo at ang Tanay boys ang may mga “balls” kaso mo yung iba natunaw din ni evil bitch ang mga “balls” nila after a little while!
We have now reached the Orwellian year ‘1984’.
ako biktima rin ng gross injustice, imagine 2 times akong sinuspinde sa iisang kaso ng tig isang taon sa PNP sa kabila ng naka binbin kong appeal sa napolcom. nilapitan ko ang ombudsman walang nangyari, pinuntahan ko ang civil service ipinasa sa dilg na ibinalik lang sa pulis. pinuntahan ko ang gma7 (tv imbestigador) internal problem daw kaya wala silang jurisdiksiyon. resulta: kahit illegal ang iutos ng officer sa subordinate sunod na lang wala ka naman magagawa. kanino babawi ng kaapihan ang rank and file na pulis? saan pa kundi sa kawawang mamamayan na wala ding laban.
buti na lang meron ellen tordesillas na puede ka nang mag broadcast ng gusto mong sabihin anytime dahil wala ka na namang mapupuntahan pa. justice delay is justice denied.
Bayong, wala bang Internal Affairs ang PNP gaya sa sa Tate o sa Europe? Alam ko diyan nagrereklamo ang mga pulis sa mga abusong dinaranas nila.
Kapapanood ko lang ng show ni Ricky Carandang kung saan guest sina Edith Burgos at Atty. Diokno. Sabi ni Mrs. Burgos sumulat siya kay Gloria bilang isang ina sa isa ring ina na kung gustong tumulong ay magagawa at siguradong may mangyayari.
Tinawagan naman daw siya at ini-refer kay Esperon. Pinuntahan naman ng kanyang mga kapatid at abugado pero hindi raw sila hinarap dahil sila ay “late by one hour”.
Tangnang yan, buhay ni Jayjay ang nakataya, isang mamamayang sinumpaan ng ulol na si Esperon na ipagtatanggol at po-protektahan, wala na ngayong pag-asang tulungang hanapin ng kasundaluhan dahil na-late ng ISANG ORAS.
Samantalang yung mga sundalo sa Tanay, ISAFP, Fort Boni, etc., nakulong ng DALAWANG TAON ng walang kasong nakasampa! Pinaghintay sila ng pagkatagal-tagal sa isang kasong kapritso lang ng isang gagong AFP Chief.
I just read GMA news that Esperon’s retirement was extended for another FOUR (4, apat) days. Arroyo and Esperon are simply playing games..pinaglalaruan lang nila tayo..What can he do in 4 days? Undo all the things that they did in years…Satan gave Christ three days…ang dalawang demonyo sa Filipinas humihingi ng apat na araw…Ano kaya kung magsuicide pact nalang sila (ala Romeo and Juliet) it will only take less than an hour to kill each other…And that will make a lot of people happy (pati na rin seguro ang mga asawa nila)…ito ang maging esperonsa ng bayan and we will sing a new song..glorya aling labandera…
Val: plant camote? A friend and I went to Brooklyn Bontanica garden last October and she pointed out to me the different camote plants sa paso (ornamental) including what we Visayans call “tapol” the purple camote..I live in an apt. kaya contento na lang ako sa pagtatanim sa paso..it took almost a year for the avocado to root sa paso..I am still waiting for the mango seed to germinate as well..And soon I will have my own version of my nipa hut at ang halaman dito ay sari-sari…
Meron internal affairs dito sa atin isa nga yun sa nagpapahirap sa mga pulis, ang budget non nakasalalay din sa Chief PNP paano sila lalaban.
Tongue,
Baka naman tinawagan kaagad ni Gloria si Asspweron at sinabihang ‘bahala ka na dyan, just get her out of my phone’.
As usual, I put the blame on Gloria before her Ass.
bayong,
I sympathize with your situation. Waste of budget lang ang mga opisinang ganyan sa militar/police, kung ano ang gusto ng hepe kahit mali ay yun na. Pero ganyan din ang takbo sa maraming opisina, rule of one, dictatorial…no impartial discussion of issues. Nakakaunsyami.
Tongue, I watched the same interview. I was most bothered when the AFP had the parents of the those abducted sign affidavits. These papers may have been dated as the AFP wants it. Ganyan ang ginawa nila kay Lozada di ba? This may be the same modus operandi they will employ to the Magdalos ang the Tanay Boys. The evil bitch and her “bodyguards” are known to play dirty! Atty Diokno was frustrated with the judicial system. He could not even appeal some of his cases as he was given a “dead end”.
I admire the mother of Jonas. She is fighting with dignity and grace!
Tongue,
Writing to Gloria Dorobo, a criminally minded creep, is a useless exercise. It’s nothing more like writing to the devil to save one from going to hell!
Ooops, this should read, “It’s more like writing to the devil to save one from going to hell!”
Of course there would be no resolution and I bet upto now. Since in the Philippines if you ain’t got the money and influence your case would take that long sleep. If he got the money then the best advice is for him to get a one of the top-notch criminal defense lawyer that also a special prosecutor.
And speaking of criminal defense lawyer click here