COL. MARANTAN ACQUITTED SA KASO, ‘DI MALILIMUTAN ANG PAGMAMAHAL NG INA AT ASAWA

Ni ROMMEL GONZALES

NAGBALIK-tanaw si Colonel Hansel Marantan sa panahong hindi siya tinalikuran ng kanyang ina at asawa habang nakakulong dahil sa kinasangkutan niyang Atimonan case kung saan 13 tao ang nasawi sa shootout na naganap sa pagitan ng mga ito at mga tauhan ni Colonel Marantan.

Lahad ni Colonel Marantan, “My mother is from… lagi sa US iyan e, every year nagpupunta sa US iyan, so they came home right away, sabi niya, ‘I had to be with Hansel.’

“So everyday yung mother ko, parang school niya na yung ano… she was a teacher and then, parang school niya yung kulungan, dinadalaw… magluluto siya ng… well, to appease me, to make me happy, kasi alam niya yung mga favorite na ano ko e, na pagkain. Ilocano ako, so mga gulay-gulay ako, e.

“So salitan sila ng misis ko magdala ng mga gulay na gustong-gusto ko. How many Christmases? How many summers you stayed inside? Ilan yung mga opportunities na nawala diyan? Tapos na-exonerate kami ngayon, those are irreparable damages.

“Hindi mo na ma-reconstruct sa amin yun, tapos na yun e. Pag umutang ka ng oras, hindi mo na maibabalik iyan, kahit pa milyon- milyon- milyon ang pera mo, tapos na, e.

“Kinuhanan kita ng 5 minuto hindi ko na maibabalik yun sa iyo kahit bigyan pa kita ng limang libo, di ba?”

Marami pang detalye tungkol sa buhay ni Colonel Marantan na mapapanood sa docu-film na “Sa Likod Ng Tsapa: The Colonel Hansel Marantan Story” na sinulat, dinirehe at produced by Ms. Editha “Ging” Caduaya sa pamamagitan ng kanyang Pop Movie House Newsline Philippine Corporation, a Davao-based news site.

Mapapanood ang docu-film sa mga sinehan sa August 13 at may premiere night sa August 8; tiyempo naman na birthday ng publicist ng movie na si Mell Navarro sa August 7 kaya double celebration.

Samantala, speaking of celebration, isang napakagandang balita ang nabasa namin sa GMA News Online, published June 26, 2025, at ito ay ang tungkol sa pagwawalang-sala kay Colonel Marantan at labing-isa pang mga pulis na sangkot sa Atimonan case.

Ayon sa GMA News Online…

Manila court acquits Hansel Marantan, others over 2013 Atimonan shootout

“A Manila court has acquitted Davao City Police Office chief Police Colonel Hansel Marantan and 11 other police officers of murder charges over their involvement in a shootout in Atimonan, Quezon in 2013 that left 13 people dead.

In a decision, the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 27 also acquitted Ramon Balauag, Grant Gollod, John Paolo Carracedo, Timoteo Orig, Joselito de Guzman, Carlo Cataquiz, Arturo Sarmiento, Eduardo Oranan, Nelson Indal, Wryan Sardea, and Rodel Talento on the ground of the justifying circumstance of fulfillment of duty.

“In the face of actual and imminent danger to their lives and limbs, with the information that the occupants of the Montero SUVs were fully armed, the policemen and soldiers acted swiftly,” it said.

“The force used to overcome the unlawful aggression was reasonable,” it added.

Police initially said the fatalities were members of a gun-for-hire group — a claim denied by the slain men’s relatives.

The Court, however, noted that Marantan was initially shot and injured during the incident.

“The offensive act of shooting Marantan showed intention to cause injury and constituted unlawful aggression. Under the circumstances, the peril to the lives and limbs of the policemen and soldiers was actual and imminent,” it said.

The court ordered the bail bonds posted by the cops to be canceled and released.”