A thrilling 'spy novel'

How intelligence agents of the ISAFP bagged Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon Saturday is worthy of a Ludlum spy novel. Definitely it was a thriller that topped any written by some of the espionage writers I have read so far.

But based on the story, as recounted by Col. Tristan Kison, AFP information officer, the intelligence agents had tailed Faeldon who was with his alleged girl friend, Capt. Candelaria (Cindy) Rivas, a military prosecutor with the Judge Advocate General Office. But the military intelligence personnel were initially stumped when they saw Capt. Rivas being met by another girl. But they later suspected it was Faeldon, dressed as a female, when they espied Rivas being kissed by "her."

The agents then decided to trail the red car of Capt. Rivas to her Malabon condo. But they decided to apprehend both before they had reached her residence.

Now, it turns out that Faeldon, whose marriage had been annulled earlier, had an ongoing affair with Rivas. This reportedly had been noticed by intelligence while Rivas and Faeldon became inseparable during their badminton games in the ISAFP compound.

Well, as they often point out with such escapades, abangan ang kasunod.

***

You know, despite the uproar over the escape of four more Magdalo detainees from Camp Aguinaldo, I have my misgivings about that incident.

The quartet are reportedly on a recruitment campaign to solicit more support among soldiers and middle level officers to the so-called conspiracy to eject President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Now, I am just using my experiences with military intelligence, their modus operandi, and a lot of other nuances that make me suspicious about that escape line.

The New People's Army, I think, could be just as suspicious or skeptical about that tale. The carcasses of hundreds of suspected deep penetration agents shows how paranoid the party had become following discovery of DPAs having infiltrated the party ranks that some had even succeeded in reaching key positions in both the CPP and the military arm, the NPA.

This is how it goes. A scenario is hatched. And the AFP allows "turned agents" to escape. That is publicly acknowledged a determined manhunt is ordered. They put up a price tag on their heads. The manhunt subjects go about their proclaimed activities without being caught. Eventually, the hullabaloo subsides after dramatic scenarios of near escapes, etc.

And the poor unsuspecting targets find themselves hooked. Later, the escapers are recaptured and spill the beans on those who had elected to join the anti-government plot.

The only flaw in the tale of the four was their escape. Although the military tried to drag into the picture Magdalo lawyer, Roel Pulido, that was never substantiated nor the details of his participation in the escape explained.

Besides, how the quartet could have escaped became a bit incredible. You just don't hike more than a kilometer from where the four allegedly managed to get out of their detention area and cut the wires of the ISAFP compound, then just walked away sans being challenged by any of the soldiers around was simply amazing. Actually, an act that belongs to a spy thriller.

Then, just a few days later, they tried to explain that it happened a bit more credibly. But that, by itself, gives rise to further suspicions that the four, themselves, must have found the original story of their escape full of holes.

That's just my suspicions mind. Perhaps, I may be wrong. But the ending of the story will eventually tell whether I am mistaken or the tale is worth studying more.

***

The nursing graduates of West Negros College in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City will file today a separate mandamus suit against the Professional Regulations Commission to have their test results released.

This time, according to one of them, they may include in the suit PRC Regional Director Lily Ann Baldago.

Now, I discovered some disturbing new information that had not been incorporated in the original suit filed in Iloilo also by WNC examinees.

This is the document which showed that Ms. Baldago is also corporate treasurer and a trustee of the Iloilo-based Central Philippines University which has its own school of nursing.

Ms. Baldago's term expires yet in 2007. The question that is being raised is why she has not resigned her positions in a school or university that also operates a nursing school as that of rival WNC.

Sec. I, Paragraph (i) of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for government officials and employees provide that "conflict of interest" arises when a public official or employee is a member of a board, an officer, or a substantial stockholder of a private corporation or owner or has a substantial interest in a business, the interest of such corporation or business, or his rights or duties therein, may be opposed to or affected by the faithful performance of official duty."

I also learned that a lot more explosive materials could be introduced by the complaining examinees when they file this week their complaint in Bacolod.

I guarantee that it could prove interesting reading and, even possibly, lead to the airing of a lot of hitherto well-kept skeletons in the closet.*

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