Esperon confirms planned eviction vs Querubin family

Philippine military chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr confirmed Thursday the planned eviction of the family of Marine Col. Ariel Querubin from the officer's quarters inside Camp Aguinaldo. Querubin is one of 28 officers facing court martial proceedings in connection with the alleged coup attempt on Feb. 24, 2006. In a news briefing, Esperon said the planned eviction stemmed from recent actuations of Querubin's wife - Maria Flor - concerning the continued detention of her husband. Television footage had shown Mrs Querubin as banging the gates of the Intelligence Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) when her husband, along with other officers, was transferred to the restricted compound in Camp Aguinaldo from the detention facility in Tanay, Rizal. Mrs Querubin was also said to have joined a protest rally outside Camp Aguinaldo staged by militant groups. "Why are you doing that in front of the camp and you are a resident," Esperon, said, adding that Mrs Querubin was acting as if "you own the camp, you are the authority in the camp. When you go inside the camp, you have to be checked, you could not be exempted from that." "If you (Mrs Querubin) keep violating the (regulations) then that would affect the privilege (of housing)." Earlier in the day, Mrs Querubin said she received the eviction letter Thursday morning. "I received a Valentine letter from the camp commander this morning warning me of eviction. I am preparing my reply now," Mrs Querubin's text message to reporters read. Mrs Querubin said the military accused her of being with 120 members of militant groups Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) "banging on Isafp gates." She also said Col. Irineo Espino, the camp commander, cited in his letter "conduct unbecoming of a wife of a Filipino soldier," among others, as reason for the eviction. Espino and Col. Querubin are both members of the Philippine Military Academy batch '79. - GMANews.TV