MALOLOS CITY—The son and namesake of the late House Speaker Ramon Mitra visited the grave here of a fellow soldier who was killed in the December 1989 bloody coup attempt that almost toppled the then administration of the late President Cory Aquino.
“I want his remains transferred to the Libingan ng mga Bayani because he is one of our forgotten heroes,” Ramon “Mon-mon” Mitra said referring to T/Sgt. Guillermo Hernandez of the Philippine Marines.
Hernandez was killed after enemy aircraft dropped bombs on military vehicles beside the premises of Channel 4 on December 1, 1989.
As part of the government anti-coup forces, Mon-mon said he instructed Hernandez to identify positions of rebel soldiers inside the premises of the government television station during their attempt to re-take it.
“He was able to identify the rebel soldiers’ position and he parked his vehicle beside military trucks when struck by enemy fire from a tora-tora,” said Mon-mon on his first visit to the grave of Hernandez at the public cemetery after 20 years.
A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Maringal class of 1988, Mon-mon was assigned in Bulacan but used the name “Lt. Dexter Artim” for security purposes.
He said that it was then Marines Commandant, now Senator Rodolfo Biazon who advised him to hide his real identity in taking field assignments his father and namesake was the Speaker of the House of Representatives then.
As this developed, Mon-mon called for the total disarmament of private armies and warlord not only in Mindanao but in the rest of the country in order to maintain peace and order.
He said that a total gun ban should be implemented like in Malaysia.
Mon-mon also differed in the deputization of Cafgus in Mindanao.
He said that in some areas, Cafgus are helpful as they serve as advance and stay-in forces, but in Maguindanao, it appeared that Cafgus were used as an excuse for the establishment of private armies.
“I want his remains transferred to the Libingan ng mga Bayani because he is one of our forgotten heroes,” Ramon “Mon-mon” Mitra said referring to T/Sgt. Guillermo Hernandez of the Philippine Marines.
Hernandez was killed after enemy aircraft dropped bombs on military vehicles beside the premises of Channel 4 on December 1, 1989.
As part of the government anti-coup forces, Mon-mon said he instructed Hernandez to identify positions of rebel soldiers inside the premises of the government television station during their attempt to re-take it.
“He was able to identify the rebel soldiers’ position and he parked his vehicle beside military trucks when struck by enemy fire from a tora-tora,” said Mon-mon on his first visit to the grave of Hernandez at the public cemetery after 20 years.
A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Maringal class of 1988, Mon-mon was assigned in Bulacan but used the name “Lt. Dexter Artim” for security purposes.
He said that it was then Marines Commandant, now Senator Rodolfo Biazon who advised him to hide his real identity in taking field assignments his father and namesake was the Speaker of the House of Representatives then.
As this developed, Mon-mon called for the total disarmament of private armies and warlord not only in Mindanao but in the rest of the country in order to maintain peace and order.
He said that a total gun ban should be implemented like in Malaysia.
Mon-mon also differed in the deputization of Cafgus in Mindanao.
He said that in some areas, Cafgus are helpful as they serve as advance and stay-in forces, but in Maguindanao, it appeared that Cafgus were used as an excuse for the establishment of private armies.
