'Gadian safer under military custody'

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday assured embattled Lt. Senior Grade Nancy Gadian that she would be safer under military custody.

AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner maintained Gadian, the whistleblower in the alleged misuse of funds intended for the 2007 RP-US Balikatan exercises, is not being threatened by the military, contrary to her claims.

“Our position on that still stands – it would be safer for her to place herself under the military’s protection because outside, anybody could harm her and this could be blamed on the AFP,” he said.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, for his part, said Gadian’s continued refusal to be placed under military custody is a tactic to evade the cases filed against her.

The Court of Appeals (CA) last week granted the petition for a writ of amparo and ordered Teodoro, as chief of the Department of National Defense (DND) with supervision and control of the military, to take Gadian into custody.

But Gadian’s lawyers and supporters contested the CA order, claiming that placing her under the custody of the DND would put the Navy officer in harm’s way.

Gadian herself sought the assistance of Sen. Rodolfo Biazon who only advised the Navy officer to file the necessary plea before the court to amend the order and allow her to be placed under the custody of private individuals or groups.

Biazon, a former AFP chief, noted Gadian remains a member of the military and is therefore under its jurisdiction and administrative control.

Gadian is currently under the protection of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP), the same group of nuns that provide security for national broadband network scandal whistleblower Rodolfo Lozada Jr.