Navy officer decries ‘unjust’ relieve order

ZAMBOANGA CITY — A top Navy official appealed to President Arroyo and Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Angelo Reyes as he grieved his "unjust and humiliating" removal as commander of the Naval Forces South (NFS) at noon yesterday.

Navy Capt. Antonieto Ferrer, NFS officer-in-charge, charged that Rear Admiral Guillermo Wong hacked him out in favor of a more junior officer.

Ferrer filled the position for only three weeks. He assumed the position from NFS chief Commodore Eleanor Padre who retired last December.

Ferrer, a graduate of the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) and commissioned to class ’71 of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) was abruptly replaced by Capt. Carlos Pechuela.

According to Ferrer, Wong’s order was "unfair" because his successor is junior to him in the military service and he has done nothing wrong to deserve a relieve, and "unjust" because he was never given time to prove his worth as a commander.

He told The STAR that Admiral Wong called him up yesterday to immediately implement the turn-over ceremony despite his pleading to forego the change of command on Sunday as his wife, Rose, celebrated her birthday.

In his relinquishment address, Ferrer, whose eyes were clouded with tears removed from his whitedock uniform one-by-one seven of his meritorious award badges he earned describing them worthless. — Roel Pareño