New privates will uphold human, women and children’s rights

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE
October 2, 2010

CATBALOGAN, Samar  –  Some 235 new privates will surely uphold not only human rights but the rights of women and children, so said 8th Infantry Division Commanding General Mario Chan.

In yesterday’s closing exercises of the 235 new army elements at Camp Lukban, Catbalogan, Samar, Chan stressed that they have been instructed to obey orders from their superiors.

And what better orders than asking them to follow the ten rules of engagement, as Chan said.

To uphold human rights, obey legal orders, be polite, don’t be arrogant, be presentable, protect women and children rights, pay for what you buy and return what you borrowed, do not destroy crops, do not loot, do not maltreat POWs and their rights.

“As soldiers, you will be the protector of the people,” he addressed the new soldiers.

This batch of soldiers that commenced training in May is part of the 8th ID quota of some 1,059 this year, Chan told the assembled crowd composed of friends and families of the new privates.

Geographically, some 36 soldiers come from Northern Samar; 97 from Samar, 51 from Eastern Samar, 37 from Leyte 10 from Mindanao and 4 from Luzon.

“This batch is also highly educated,“ Chan offered, “39 of them are college graduates, 103 are in college level while only 93 are high school graduates.”

Initially, some 250 candidates submitted themselves to the training, but only the 235 hurdled the “physical and rigorous” training given to the “protectors of the state”.

A couple from Can-avid witnessed the graduation of their son, Alice the mother said it was a son-in-law who convinced his son to be a soldier, she did not recall hearing any complaint from her son on the difficulties of training.  “But as a mother, I was worried about his weight loss,” she confided to PIA.

His son defended being light so he could be spright in the numerous walking and running exercises they had to do. “I believe him now, as I see them marched before us,” Alice said.

A family of six by a new private traveled from a barangay in Borongan, Eastern Samar. Sister Mila said they wanted to see their baskeeter-brother whose head protruded among the rest of the new privates.

“He really wanted to become a soldier to help our farmer-parents.”  They saved their hard-earned money to see their “Botoy” graduate from the army training, bringing even their nieces and nephews.