Soldiers Killed Officers Who Abused Them

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

In the past two weeks, two of my blogs cum columns went viral as based on the statistics of blogspot.com that gauge how many readers around the world opened it and read. Online techie called the number of readers that run to thousands as “hits”.

The first intriguing blog I posted was titled: Cong’womanto Resign After Naked Photos, 3-Somes Exposed. while the second was the controversial Soldiers Shot Officers Because They HazedThem – Ex General.

Controversial and intriguing are two words I learned in my almost three decades column writing as bait for the number of curious readers to gravitate in a column and thus spike the number of hits, and of course the ads there teh he, when I became online writer sometimes in years 2010s.

When former two-star police general Leopoldo Bataoil became a source on my second blog, he told me about his and members of the Triple A or the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association (PMAAA) pep talk with cadets of the PMA after the brutal killing through hazing of Cadet 4^th Class Darwin Dormitorio. Some of Bataoil, now a mayor of Lingayen, Pangasinan, remarks tackled too the physical abuses of officers who were either graduates of PMA and Officer Candidates School to the soldiers in the field.

Those who want to read the various comments from soldiers affirming and collaborating with their posts that these abuses ensued can go to the comment section at the bottom of that second blog.

Here however are the selected comments of those active and retired officers and non-officers that the verbal, psychological, sexual, and physical abuses of officers cost them their lives:

VERBAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSES

A grim incident ensued in 1997 at a building in the Logistic Command of the General Staff College in Fort Andres Bonifacio, Taguig. 

Coldwell Guevara said that after the gun firing of the officers and enlisted men of the GSC at the firing range, a Scout Ranger’s master sergeant of the deputy of the GSC went back to the building to get the gasoline card of the latter. He was ridiculed by a Navy Commander or a rank equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel in the army.

“Sabi ng commander na may hawak ng gas card hinde  ba Scout Ranger ka master. “Yes sir sagot ng EM. Pinahiya sa maraming tao. Sayang ang pagka Scout Ranger mo dami mo AWOL na bala. Hinde nakayanan ni master sergeant ang bugso ng damdamin dahil sa pagkapahiya bumunot ng cal.45 si master sergeant at pinutokan ang opisyal sa ulo ang tama”

When the office sergeant, a Marine, saw that the Scout Ranger shot the naval officer he opened his drawer to get his .45 handgun and fired to the ranger. The ranger retaliated and both of them including the commander died there.

“Baron ng PMA class ang napatay na navy officer,” Guevarra said.

Alfred P Bazar said a commanding officer (CO) was shot dead because he did not allow the Army’s private first class (PFC) to have a pass for his wedding.

“Meron nangyari na nagpaalam yong PFC sa CO niya dahil ikakasal siya. Hindi pinayagan dahil uunahin niya pa daw iyon kasal niya kaysa operation. Instead na unawain yong PFC pinagalitan pa. Iyon binaril ng PFC iyong CO niya habang nasa operation. Iyon ang isa sa mga officers na mahina ang leadership. Sabi nga: Always Look for the Welfare of your men”.

Here was a condescending and brusque Naval Commander who came from the Department of National Defense (DND) and was the former aide- de- camp (ADC) of then Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos, popularly known as FVR, who later became Philippines president.

“Hambog at mayabang kamo na officer. Kawawa ang mga sundalo minumura lang niya, sinisigawan, at kinatakutan din siya doon. Galing siya sa DND ADC dati ni FVR sa DND nalipat sa LOGCOM. Siga pa rin. Isang hapon nag paalam ang master sergeant ng emergency pass may namatay ata sa family niya. Pero tinanggihan siya ng officer, sinigawan, minaliit dahil sundalo lang sa harap ng military and CE staff ng office nila. Napahiya ng husto ang master sergeant”.

The senior sergeant, according to Bazar, went out and came back menacingly wielding an M-16 automatic assault rifle. He peppered with bullets the high handed officer who died. After he emptied the bullets in the magazine of the M-16 he reloaded with another 30 bullets' magazine and shot again with a volley his superior.

“Pagkatapos nag surrender. Ayon ang pangit sa officer na mayabang at nanghuhusga komo officer siya,” Bazar deplored.

“Totoo iyan nangyari iyan sa unit namin noon doon sa Sibuco, Zambo Norte. Pinapahiya ng officer ang EP (enlisted man) napikon ang EP umuwi kumuha ng M16 at binaril buti hindi napuruhan pero na disable,” Nestor Bernido agreed on the narration of Bazar.

Another massacre of officers happened when a private first class ran amuck inside the conference hall of the Philippine Marines in Fort Bonifacio in the 1990s, according the Coldwell Guevarra.

“Maysakit ang asawa niya imbes na tulungan minimura at pinagsabihan ng masasakit na salita. Five opisyal patay. Iyong mabait sa PFC hindi niya binaril pinadapa lang,” he cited.

“Walang ganyan sa amin sa 2 ID, PA pero may nabalitaan kami na officer na nabaril sa likod,” according to Erick Parlat Manalo.

He said one of their officers was treacherously shot at the back. He was a finance officer who pocketed some salaries and allowances of the soldiers.

“Lalo na ang savings sa subsistence allowances at delay na release na combat pay. Pag reklamador ka daw sa pera ang ganti sa iyo ayaw kang payagan kahit three days’ passes,” Manalo added.

SEXUAL ACT WITH SOLDIER’S WIFE

Salvador Shigyo Limsiaco, a company officer of the 2 LAB, cited two incidents of molestation and carnal knowledge by officers to the wives of enlisted personnel:

 “I remember an incident where an enlisted man from 27IB shot and killed an officer at Camp San Gabriel, Davao City because the officer molested his wife. Another incident was a former CO of 39IB stationed then in Lebak - Kalamansig was shot to death by his own man because that officer was ‘playing fire" with the enlisted man’s wife’s aside from money matters”.

The unsolicited advice of Limsiaco to officers to take good care of their men’s morale and welfare.

“Wag ninyo pakialaman ang asawa ng tao ninyo at give what is due to them. They will die for you if you are a good officer,” he said.

PHYSICAL ABUSES

Six military commissioned officials died after a soldier, humiliated after an officer slapped him in front of his family, unleashed a volley of gun fire.

According to Jose Parcia Jr.: “May nangyari niyan sa Pamplona, Cam Sur kung di ako nagkamali 1986 yon, niratrat ng isang EP ang mga officers sa conference room kung saan six yata ang namatay noon, tapos nagbaril siya sa sarili, quits na. Nag ugat din yon sa pananampal ng isang opisyal sa EP habang kasama ang pamilya. Hindi ko na e mention kung anong unit iyon at branch of service, pero iyong mabait na opisyal pinadapa daw muna bago rumatrat”.

“l agree to that sir may insidenteng ganyan katulad noong after Rebulusyon sir labde pa tayo that time. Si Major Alias Pistolero binaril at napatay ni PFC Cabading dahil pinahiya niya sa harap ng gf niya sir,” Rogelio Fuerte said.

“Si Captain Cabrillos iyon si Cabaquing laya na siya,” Benjamin Biala retorted.

A company commander mauled a private in an Army headquarter in Jolo, Sulu. The private shot to death the young first lieutenant and those around him, according to Nick Diaz.

“Mas matindi nangyari sa amin 1978 headquarter 18th Infantry Battalion, San Raymundo, Jolo Sulu. Radio man naming Private Samiao binugbog ng company commander namin. Iyon binaril niya company commanding officer 1LT Renato Bagasol Company Ex O, 2LT Dante Grafil Class 78 PMA. First Sergeant Staff Sergeant Joves, Draftee Renato Pingen, PFC Edgar Madamba. Lahat patay at marami wounded muntik ako nakasali buti na lang naka alis dahil perimeter guard ako. Ang nag imbestiga si Brigadier General Jose Magno ng 1st Infantry Division noon na nasa Busbus, Jolo, Sulu”.

A soldier begged his commanding officer (CO) to punish him after his family left the camp but the official still slapped him infront of the lowly enlisted man’s wife and child, according to Rolle Mario.

 “Ito ay sa kabila ng pakiusap sa kanyang CO na pagmakauwi na pamilya niya ay saka na lang siya parusahan kung ano man kasalanan nya, pinahiya sa harap ng pamilya niya kaya nagdilim ang pag iisip noong ka batch ko kaya tinira ng M -14 sa ulo ang CO niya”.

Rolle Mario said the lamentable incident happened in a Naval Station in Ulugan, Palawan.

“Dumalaw iyong pamilya ng ka batch ko dahil matagal nang hinde nakakauwi ang ka-batch ko dahil sa call of duty. Pinahiya at sinampal ng CO sa harap ng pamilya”.   He said the gunman was incarcerated but later acquitted by the court and still retired  with a pension in the uniform service.

READ MY OTHER BLOG/COLUMN:

STOP HAZING: Cavaliers Dialogue With PMA Cadets

 (You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)