Faeldon, military lawyer in ‘lovers’ quarrel’?

Though they have denied any romantic involvement, renegade Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon and military lawyer Capt. Candelaria Rivas have figured in a "lovers’ quarrel," prompting their custodians at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces (ISAFP) jail at Camp Aguinaldo to separate them.

The two have been quarreling, even exchanging angry text messages, an ISAFP officer claimed without elaborating.

"Medyo may LQ (lovers’ quarrel) apparently selos si Rivas dahil madalas bumisita yung dating asawa ni Faeldon (They had an LQ, apparently out of jealousy because Rivas noticed that Faeldon was visited by his ex-wife)," the official said.

The ISAFP officer said their cell phones had been confiscated and Rivas, a prosecutor of the Judge Advocate General’s Office of the AFP, has been transferred to the General Service Command.

Armed Forces spokesman Col. Tristan Kison said Rivas will remain confined at the General Service Command until ordered otherwise.

The two detained officers have denied being lovers.

After 44 days in hiding during which he taunted authorities, Faeldon was caught by the ISAFP along with Rivas in Malabon City last week.

Faeldon, through his lawyer Ruel Pulido, said his relationship with Rivas was purely platonic, and that they simply "shared the same beliefs and a love of their country."

He claimed Rivas had been seeking to join him in the struggle for a new government.

Faeldon’s former wife, Tita Untalan, and relatives also claimed the renegade Marine captain was being tortured in solitary confinement after they were prevented from visiting him at the ISAFP.

Two resident physicians at the Senate, however, declared there was no sign of physical or psychological abuse to Faeldon.

Doctors Marciano Plancia and Amiel Bautista said their initial examination on Faeldon revealed no signs of torture, belying earlier claims by relatives and Pulido.

"There was no indication that he was tortured physically. Faeldon himself denied he was tortured psychologically," Plancia said.

The two physicians made the statement in reply to the query of Sen. Rodolfo Biazon who asked them to assess the health of the recaptured renegade officer.

Upon Biazon’s request both physicians visited Faeldon at the ISAFP where the renegade Marine officer is being detained.

Representatives from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Arnel Amata, Antonio Abbago and Albert Fegueras also visited Faeldon and declared the renegade officer to be in good condition.

Faeldon was among 300 junior officers and men who launched the Oakwood rebellion against President Arroyo in 2003.

Four others — Army Capt. Nathaniel Rabonza and 1Lts. Laurence San Juan, Sonny Sarmiento and Patricio Bumidang — who escaped last month remain at large.

The military has said it is monitoring personnel after conceding that a shadowy group was attempting to draw supporters to a fresh plot against Mrs. Arroyo.

Army Chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon declared he will not waver in his commitment to hunt down the four renegade Army officers.

And once they are caught, Esperon said they will not get "kid glove treatment" but will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

"They should not be treated like babies. They know the consequences of their actions," Esperon said.

The Army chief made the declaration amid reactions to the alleged "shoot to kill" order issued by the military’s top brass in hunting down the four escaped mutineers.

Esperon explained the order was normal defensive policy for any arresting officer should the fugitives try to fight it out while resisting arrest.

"I told my men to fight back if they resist (arrest)," Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino said earlier, claiming the four fugitives could be well armed.

Five soldiers who allegedly supported Faeldon have been summoned for questioning by military intelligence. — With Roel Pareño, Sandy Araneta, Michael Punongbayan, AFP