Querubin granted provisional liberty

MANILA, Philippines - More than 4 years after being placed in military custody, former Marine Col. Ariel Querubin walked free Wednesday after the military leadership granted him provisional liberty.

Querubin, a recipient of the highest military decoration Medal of Valor, is facing trial before a military tribunal for his participation in the February 2006 Marine standoff. Before his release, he attended Mass at Camp Aguinaldo church and then proceeded to Ateneo to fetch his children.

In a press briefing, Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta said the military's Judge Advocate General recommended to Armed Forces' chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo David that Querubin be given provisional liberty.

"This was actually the initiative of the Armed Forces, to study and to look into the possibility of giving him freedom. It was recommended by our lawyers particularly the Judge Advocate General that he be given provisional liberty," Mabanta told reporters.

The military spokesman said Querubin will be turned over to Brig. Gen. Reynaldo M Ordoňez, chief of the Armed Forces Office of Defense Reforms. He said Querubin will remain free as long as he attends all court hearings related to the mutiny charge filed against him.

Querubin is the last military officer linked to the February 2006 Marine standoff to have been given temporary freedom.

Two other accused - former Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and former Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim - were also granted provisional liberty, with Miranda being placed under the care of current Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban while Lim was placed under the care of Ordoñez.

Both Querubin and Lim are deemed resigned from active military service when they filed their certificates of candidacy for senator in the May 2010 elections. Querubin ran under the Nacionalista Party banner while Lim was included in the Liberal Party ticket. Both lost in the 2010 senatorial race.

Querubin earlier thanked the AFP leadership, particularly military chief of staff David, for "offering the olive branch and heeding the call of the new administration."

He said he cannot wait to be a family man once again after being away from his loved ones for the last 4 years.

“I think I have to catch up with my kids, my family. I’ll go direct to the house and start my duties as a father effective today.”

Asked if he wants to try to join the political arena again, he replied: “As of now, I have yet to entertain that idea.”

He also revealed that he has been getting many job offers. “I think there’s life after the service. In fact there are so many offers. It's just a matter of choosing the right job,” he noted.

Lone Ranger: 1st Lt. Armando Bohol, PA

Call it what you will—raw courage or foolhardiness—but 1st Lt. Armando Bohol of the Army’s 31st Infantry Battalion is admired by fellow officers and men of the 9th Infantry Division based in Bicol for fighting the enemy single-handedly.

Fighting alone is Bohol’s trait: He doesn’t take any of his men with him.

Take a look at the latest exploits of this officer.

On May 9, 2010, an Army detachment in Lubigan, Sipocot, Camarines Sur, was attacked by New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas.

Bohol, who was at the battalion headquarters, volunteered to go to the battle scene with only two soldiers.

He and the two enlisted men reached the detachment while it was under attack.

Asking the two soldiers to stay away, Bohol shot it out with the NPAs without seeking cover.

Two NPA rebels were killed on the spot, forcing their companions to retreat, with Bohol following them close behind.

As they were retreating, the rebels fired hundreds of rounds at Bohol who kept firing back.

Again, Bohol hit two more guerrillas who were later carried by their comrades.

A rebel with an M-60 machine gun kept firing at him, but this didn’t make the lieutenant cower in fear.

Again, the guerrillas retreated leaving their machine gun and more dead comrades behind.

That was not the first time Bohol fought the enemy single-handedly; there were more episodes that attest to his bravery under fire.

Most of the accomplishments of the 31st Infantry Battalion were attributed to the brave lieutenant.

“Bohol was always in the right place at the right time during encounters with the NPA,” said his battalion commander, Lt. Col. Rex Bergante.

When I was in Naga City, home base of the 9th Infantry Division, I didn’t have a chance to interview Bohol who, I was told, was on patrol duty at that time.

This officer should be given the highest military award: The Medal of Valor.

-On Target
By Ramon Tulfo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:25:00 07/15/2010