Capt. Nick Faeldon--a Patriot Thru and Thru

Captain Nicanor Faeldon is one tough cookie. Let me publish what Atty. Trixie Cruz-Angeles wrote in her Facebook wall last night. This is for the benefit of those who have'nt read this yet. Let me express the unbending desire and will of the True Filipino Patriots throughout the Philippines and the world to bond with the brave captain and pursue the New Philippine Revolution.

“In the name of the best within you,
do not sacrifice this world to those who are its worst.
In the name of the values that keep you alive,
do not let your vision of man be distorted
by the ugly, the cowardly, the mindless,
in those who have never achieved his title.
Do not lose your knowledge that man's proper estate
is an upright posture, an intransigent mind and a step
that travels unlimited roads. Do not let your fire go out,
spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps
of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all.
Do not let the hero in your soul perish,
in lonely frustration for the life you deserved,
but have never been able to reach.
Check your road and the nature of your battle.
The world you desired can be won, it exists,
it is real, it is possible, it's yours.”
~ Ayn Rand

In July 2007, Cpt. Faeldon issued a statement explaining why he did not enter into a plea bargain the way his co-accused did. He acknowledged that his course of action is not easy and quite possibly the least understood.Some think his quest is the modern day equivalent of tilting at windmills.

To me and his other friends, this is simply his way. He joined the AFP not to fashion a career or to make money, though he did need to keep body and soul together. He was a student leader in college and it just made sense for him to further the nation's cause by staking his life for his country. This same idealism propelled him to Oakwood, and fueled his two escapes. It is, I suspect, what keeps him going, even now when the going is tough.

He has not faltered in this course. He has not allowed the naysayers to become demons in his mind. He has stayed true.

On the 27th of July, it will be the 6th anniversary of the Oakwood incident. On the 29th, he should be celebrating his birthday. For the record, he has publicly stated that he is not running for office, nor is he willing to accept any elective position in this government or the one after it.

No Plea Bargain

This statement is intended to explain why I refuse to enter into any form of plea bargaining in any of my cases arising from the Oakwood incident.

To begin, I must make it clear that I respect my co-accused, and hold no adverse opinion on their decisions to consider or enter into plea bargains. Their beliefs are their own, as is their right to chart the courses of their own lives.

When I went to Oakwood, four years ago (this was issued in 2007), it was clear to me that in order for me to bring the truth to my countrymen, I could stand to lose my life, my career or everything I hold dear. Standing trial and facing possible conviction for various offenses are natural consequences of my decision to tell the truth. Thus, I hold no rancor for those who must compel me to submit to the legal processes, even as I expect no justice to come out of such processes.

Years later, it is to my sorrow that no significant changes have taken place despite our warnings, our concerns and our acts in Oakwood. The system is as corrupt as ever, the military is now more politicized than ever before and the highest executive in the land holds office in spite of the absence of a clear mandate. Even sadder, our soldiers are still needlessly dying out there.

I have since learned that I must cast my lot with the majority of the Filipino people who, despite the recent electoral exercises, remain outside of the decision making processes exercised by our public officials, and therefore remain powerless. - PILIPINO.ORG was born from this difficult lesson.

With these in mind, I refuse to bargain with the dubious authorities who exercise power without conscience and who are responsible for the ills that I felt compelled to report to my countrymen. At any rate, an agreement of this nature would be a tacit ratification or recognition of Presidential powers that lie uneasily in the wrong hands.

If this refusal to bargain means a prison term or the loss of my life, I am prepared, now, as much as I was four years ago, to pay the price for telling the truth.

CPT NICANOR E FAELDON PN(M)