Is this true? “A company of marines with only one officer, a female 2Lt commanding the v-150. She was barely 2 weeks on the job.”

Oh my, oh my, if true – then we have a problem! I sympathize with the people who are hesitant to say that the fallen marines were commanded by a neophyte marine and who happens to be a female Marines – not easy! To me, that she happens to be a woman is incidental – that she probably was not up to the task (not yet or whatever) is more like it. Having 5 sgts die under your command is a heavy toll.

Poor lieutenant! But such is life – she lost the battle there but we can never say that a male lieutenant would have done better; I would put it to inexperience (in the same vein, baptism of fire is the best way to make them seasoned commanders in the future).

Anyway, I would have expected two officers if there were 2 platoons. So what happened to the other one?

No one’s pointing it out lest they be seen as sexist. A company of marines with only one officer, a female 2Lt commanding the v-150. She was barely 2 weeks on the job.

I’ve asked myself the sam question. Yet there were 5 sergeants among the 14 casualties who were killed.

I am completely gobsmacked! I believe it’s time to take away command of operations in the South from anyone beyond the rank of major or lieutenant colonel in the AFP.

Leave the operations command to the ground and true field officers. Those with a ‘star’ brilliantly shining on their shoulders do not and can win the war against the MILF forces of beheaders and mutilators.

S/Sgt. Bernard Abes of Tawi-Tawi

T/Sgt. Noel Bautista of Tagum City

Pfc. Wilfredo Lamban of Sultan Kudarat

Sgt. Cayetano Simbajon of Agusan Del Sur

Cpl. Russel Panaga of Albay

Pfc. Reuben Doronio Jr.

Pfc. Freddie Palma Jr.

Pfc. Elizar Semeniano

Pfc. Arjorin Alezar

Pfc. Jhonard Allanza

Pfc. Emmanuel Beup

Pvt. Emilio Lachica Jr.

Sgt. Gerardo Licup

Sgt. Rey Callueng

Thank you.

I sometimes get teary eyed myself when I reach the part in quotation marks.

I suggest that legal rights as you have posted in the above comments should be instead Imbeded in the Constitutioin than Statute. That way it inviolable and not easily subjected to change and revision by the congress or the administration as the power keep changing hands
and I would suggest it may have the semblance of the Provisions of Charter of Rights and Freedoms (contitution Act of l982)
——————–
Legal Rights
LIFE, LIBERTY AND SECURITY OF PERSON.
7. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.

SEARCH OR SEIZURE.
8. Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure.
DETENTION OR IMPRISONMENT.
9. Everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.
ARREST OR DETENTION.
10. Everyone has the right on arrest or detention
(a) to be informed promptly of the reasons therefor;
(b) to retain and instruct counsel without delay and to be informed of that right; and
(c) to have the validity of the detention determined by way of habeas corpus and to be released if the detention is not lawful.

PROCEEDINGS IN CRIMINAL AND PENAL MATTERS.
11. Any person charged with an offence has the right
(a) to be informed without unreasonable delay of the specific offence;
(b) to be tried within a reasonable time;
(c) not to be compelled to be a witness in proceedings against that person in respect of the offence;
(d) to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal;
(e) not to be denied reasonable bail without just cause;
(f) except in the case of an offence under military law tried before a military tribunal, to the benefit of trial by jury where the maximum punishment for the offence is imprisonment for five years or a more severe punishment;
(g) not to be found guilty on account of any act or omission unless, at the time of the act or omission, it constituted an offence under Canadian or international law or was criminal according to the general principles of law recognized by the community of nations;
(h) if finally acquitted of the offence, not to be tried for it again and, if finally found guilty and punished for the offence, not to be tried or punished for it again; and
(i) if found guilty of the offence and if the punishment for the offence has been varied between the time of commission and the time of sentencing, to the benefit of the lesser punishment.

TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT.
12. Everyone has the right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.

SELF-INCRIMINATION.
13. A witness who testifies in any proceedings has the right not to have any incriminating evidence so given used to incriminate that witness in any other proceedings, except in a prosecution for perjury or for the giving of contradictory evidence.

INTERPRETER.
14. A party or witness in any proceedings who does not understand or speak the language in which the proceedings are conducted or who is deaf has the right to the assistance of an interpreter.

**** these cover the totality of our legal rights and there is no further need of more statutes that most will only contradict the spirit of the Charter and be challenged in courts.

and cvj, thanks.