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Letter from Col. Ariel Querubin

Update: Malacañang tells Querubin: Dream on.

ariel1 May the peace of Christ be with you!

Life has presented to me in many ways, from my exploits in the field that eventually earned me the Medal of Valor, a new lease on life after being left for dead in 1989 and to my current incarceration.

During all these episodes of my life, I have both witnessed and felt human suffering and desolation. After a long process of discernment while in confinement, I resolved to do something about human suffering- not through any other modality but through faithful, competent and committed public service.

I do not assume to be the solution to all these problems. I definitely am not. It takes the collective effort of every member of this society to make things improve. All I can do on my end, is to make the best effort possible to make society better, stand by my principles and fight for what is right in the appropriate forum; if not for myself and one generation, for our children and their children as well.

I thought that if I do not try to at least offer myself to give our people an alternative, then all the sufferings I have witnessed and felt would be rendered meaningless.

I plan to run for the Senate in the coming 2010 elections with this dream that we all share,

Eye to eye contact

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.

Nakakahawa rin ang katapangan

Update: Judge Lorredo allowed Lozada to be under Senate custody.

Kung nakakahawa ang masama, ganuun din ang kabutihan at katapangan. Nanindigan si Jun Lozada. At ito, nakita rin natin na naninindigan ang judge na humahawak ng kanyang kaso, si Judge Jorge Emmanuel Lorredo.

Dinala sa Medical Center Manila si Lozada noong Martes ng gabi dahil sa dehyration. Mabuti na rin daw ang lagay niya ngayon.

Naka-schedule siyang i- arraign sa sala ni Judge Jorge Emmanuel Lorredo ngayong araw at 8:30 ng umaga. Bago niyan magkakaroon ng pagdarasal. Sabi ni Lorredo sa kanyang pambihirang order na maaring sumali ang mga iba’t-ibang grupo na sumusuporta kay Lozada sa morning prayers . Sabi pa niya gusto ng Supreme Court na simulan ang sesyon sa korte ng pagdarasal.

Ampatuan held briefly at LA airport; ARMM Sol Gen says visa ‘not cancelled’

by MindaNews and VERA Files

Governor Datu Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) “encountered difficulties” with his United States visa and was held briefly when he arrived at the Los Angeles airport (LAX) with his family on April 26.

But ARMM Solicitor General Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi denied reports Ampatuan’s visa was canceled and that he was questioned for allegedly bringing with him $6 million.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Franklin Ebdalin told VERA Files on Monday that the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles “did not disclose the reason for Ampatuans being held up in immigration.”

Ang mas mabigat na problema

May kumpirmado ng biktima ang A(H1N1) o swine flu sa Hongkong kaya lalong itinaas ng Department of Health at National Disaster Coordinating Council ang alerto.

Ang biktima ay 25-taong gulang na lalaki. Galing daw sa Mexico, ang sentro ngayon nitong epidemic (pandemic na nga ang sabi ng iba opisyal. Ibig sabihin, pangkalahatang mundo na) na dumaan sa Shanghai. Mabuti pa naman daw siya ng nasa Shanghai siya ngunit nang dumating sa Hongkong ay nagkaroon siya ng lagnat.

Kaya praning na praning ang mga opisyal ng Hongkong dahil noong 2003, nang umatake ang SARS, tinamaan din sila at 229 ang namatay doon.

No urgency in foreign service for Yano and Luna

The more General Alexander Yano and Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna justified their acceptance of ambassadorial assignment in exchange for early retirement from the Armed Forces, the more that they are unmasked as no better than the other amply-rewarded Gloria Arroyo generals.

Until last Friday , Yano and Luna were the two highest officials of the AFP. Yano agreed to cut short his term as AFP chief for 44 days and turned over the reins of the AFP to Gen. Victor Ibrado. Arroyo announced that she has named him ambassador to Brunei.

Luna, who is still due tor retire in September, also agreed for an early retirement and was named ambassador to Netherlands.

Masama ba ang humiling na magka- swine flu ang mga congressman sa Las Vegas?

Ano pa ba ang magagawa nating mamamayan sa mga halos 50 na walanghiyang congressman na nasa Las Vegas ngayon para manood ng Pacquiao-Hatton fight sa gitna ng kahirapan ng sambayanang Pilipino?

May isang namatay na sa swine flu sa Nevada.

Sinulat ko sa Facebook ang aking muni-muni, “Masama ba kung hilingin ko na sana magkaroon ng swine flu ang mga congressman na nandun sa Las Vegas para manood ng laban ni Pacquiao?”

Making a statement

Check out Lito Banayo’s column in Malaya: ‘Baligtad na ang mundo’

detained

Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, a star witness in the $329 mil-lion NBN/ZTE deal, could have easily posted P6,000 bail in the perjury case filed by Gloria Arroyo’s former chief of staff, Mike Defensor to avoid arrest.

But he did not, as a sign of protest. “This is the only way I can mount a protest that is not against the law,” he said.

Lozada is now confined in a small room, non-airconditioned at the second floor of the Manila Police headquarters on UN Avenue. Judge Emmanuel Lorredo of the Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 26 who issued the arrest warrant suddenly went on leave yesterday so the arraignment was re-scheduled on May 7.