Officer in sex video 'a good soldier'

By Luigi del Puerto
November 25, 2004

Army Major Ferdinand Ramos is a good soldier and even performed better than other officers, according to Philippine Army spokesman Major Bartolome Bacarro.

"Actually, I just got in touch with his immediate commander and he said that Major Ramos performs his job well, (even) better than other officers," Bacarro told reporters in a forum Wednesday at Ciudad Fernandina in San Juan, Metro Manila.

"He is one person who delivers. Those were the exact words of his commander," he said.

Ramos, chief of the Army's Civil-Military Operations in Camp O'Donnell in Capas town, Tarlac province, is the subject of a fresh scandal involving military officers after he was accused by an unnamed military recruit of allegedly soliciting sexual favors from soldier-trainees.

The recruit provided a copy of a video showing the act played on national television last Saturday.

Bacarro said Ramos, now "restricted" to the Army quarters, would not face the court martial unless complaints were filed against him. "We need a complaint and evidence for a court martial proceeding to push through."

But the tape will be enough to initiate the separation procedures of the Armed Forces of the Philippines against Ramos, whose military experience included three to four years of combat duty in Mindanao, where he also became a company commander of a light-armor unit, said Bacarro.

Bacarro clarified that there was no discrimination in the Philippine Army and that there were no rules preventing gays from joining the service.

"Nothing in our by-laws prohibits gays in the institution," Bacarro said.

The military however might have to explain to gay advocates why the army major was placed under technical arrest even before charges -- whether administrative or criminal -- could be filed against Ramos.

He said Ramos could be charged with provision 96 of the Articles of War or conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman.

Also, the army has yet to determine whether the sexual act shown on GMA Network’s "Imbestigador" last Saturday was consensual or not.

Army records show Ramos is single.

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