BAGASIN ASSUMES POST AS AFP DEPUTY CHIEF
CAMP AGUINALDO, September 20, 2005 (STAR) By Cecille Suerte Felipe - Lt. Gen. Samuel Bagasin formally assumed the post of deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday, more than two weeks after his supposed "aborted" appointment as head of the Southern Command (Southcom).Bagasin denied his appointment as the deputy of AFP chief Gen. Generoso Senga had any "political color."
"I did not see any political color in my appointment but divine intervention and God’s hands," said Bagasin in his acceptance speech during the turnover of command held at the Bulwagang Tejeros at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
Bagasin admitted "going through trying times in the past weeks," as reports had it that President Arroyo’s passing over his appointment to head Southcom — contrary to expectations — could trigger instability in the armed forces.
"But we, in the AFP, have shown amazing unity and emerged untainted by the political struggle," said Bagasin, who got his third star and the rank of lieutenant general last Sept. 13, six days before he celebrated his 55th birthday yesterday.
Under the law, a military and police officer could not be promoted with less than one year in the service.
For his part, Senga asked Bagasin to continue the programs started by his predecessor, now Southcom chief Lt. Gen. Edilberto Adan.
"I ask both Lt. Gen. Bagasin and Lt. Gen. Adan to exert efforts to carry out the mission of the AFP to protect the country and help in its development," Senga said.
Citing Bagasin’s experience, education, knowledge and training, Senga said the new AFP deputy chief would be able to help improve the lives of the men in the field as well as in the general headquarters.
Bagasin’s parents, wife and daughter witnessed the turnover of command ceremony yesterday afternoon.
"We are very happy that our eldest son Sammy got his third star. It’s God’s will," said Bagasin’s 80-year-old father, Ireneo, in an interview before the ceremony.
The father, a war veteran, admitted he was surprised when Bagasin did not get the Southcom post which was the reason why they flew here from the United States in the first place. Bagasin’s parents are settled in the US.
"Of course, we are human but with God’s help, we were able to accept it with some tears," said 76-year-old mother Bandeloa Blancaflor-Bagasin.
Bagasin is the eldest of seven. His two other brothers, Abraham and Joel, were graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 83 and 84, respectively.
Abraham, a member of the 11th Infantry Battalion based in Negros and Joel, a former member of the Philippine Air Force, both attended the turnover of command ceremony.
Four suspected hijackers nabbed By Arnell Ozaeta The Philippine Star 09/20/2005
CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna — Four suspected notorious hijackers were nabbed by elements of the Regional Traffic Management Group in separate operations in Cavite and Quezon, police said yesterday.
Superintendent Apolinar Felipe, chief of the Regional Traffic Management Office-4A(RTMO-4A), identified the suspects as Ernesto Mejas, Bayani Flores, both residents of Catanauan, Quezon; Joel Perlas and Russel Reyes, of Dasmariñas and Gen. Mariano Alvarez, respectively, in Cavite.
Felipe said, Mejas is the leader of Mejas Group, a breakaway group of the Abelende Hijacking-Carnapping Group operating in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon and some parts of Metro Manila.
"Mejas is also an alleged assassin with a number of murder cases. including two murders in Cavite this year and in 2004," Felipe told The Star.
According to reports, while conducting a survaillance operation at the safehouse of the group at around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, operatives of RTMO-4A chanced upon Mejas and his son-in-law, Bayani Flores, aboard a Mitsubishi Delica, with license plate XJA-149, cruising along the highway in Barangay San Isidro in Catanauan, Quezon
Acting on a tip from an informant, the police flagged down the suspects and seized two short firearms, a caliber .38 revolver tucked in Mejas’ waist and another caliber .22 hidden at the side of a passenger seat.
The suspects failed to show documents for the two firearms and could not explain the disparity in the vehicle’s chassis number and the registration papers.
During actical interrogation, police discovered that Mejas’ group was involved in hijacking a Fuso truck with steel bars last July 29 in Barangay Makiling, Calamba City.
The group was also linked to the hijacking of truckload of tiles worth P.5 million on Sept. 1, in Silang, Cavite, a truckload of rice in Biñan, Laguna and a truckload of hogs in Sto. Tomas, Batangas last year.
During interrogation, Mejas revealed the whereabouts of his two members, which resulted to their arrest yesterday.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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