Colonel Javier Castellanos was the deputy Commander of the BDF until December of last year when he was discharged. He says he was the scapegoat for a trove of weapons that went missing - and his position was vindicated by the Belize Advisory Council which has ordered that he be re-instated.
Today we spoke to him in front of the Ministry of Naitonal Security in Belmopan - and he told us why he's both happy and unhappy:..
Colonel Javier Castellanos
"When I receive the message I was very excited and quite happy to have heard this news. It's a news I have been waiting for - for the past 7 months."
Jules Vasquez
"Now, your attorney had argued that you were wrongfully discharge; that you weren't ever given a reason for being discharged. Were you ever told why you were being sent home?"
Colonel Javier Castellanos
"I was never told why I was sent home. After the incident occurred I was sent on administrative leave and thereafter I receive the letter from the service commission that I was discharge from the Belize Defence Force."
Jules Vasquez
"You feel you were scapegoated?"
Colonel Javier Castellanos
"Of course I was Jules."
Jules Vasquez
"The Belize Advisory Council has ordered that you be re-instated immediately. If that were to happen how would you work again with the same people who you believe scapegoated you?"
Colonel Javier Castellanos
"It is very difficult because the military is a professional organization that its officers should be professionals, they should have a great sense of duty, honor and pride and responsibility and integrity. Those are the values of all professional officers which make me wonder quite a lot about the level of professionalism existing in the Belize Defense Force at this moment."
Jules Vasquez
"I spoke with the CEO who as himself been recently informed. He said that they will apply to the court to quash the decision of the Belize Advisory Council. So they don't want you back. How do you interpret that reaction?"
Colonel Javier Castellanos
"I, myself went to see him personally this morning. He is saying that they don't want me back. Who is they the government of Belize? The present government serving the people of Belize or is it the Belize Defence Force that doesn't wants me back, the leadership? They should specify and be quite frank and say who. He says them - the Government of Belize obviously. No one else, this is personal against me and it's very unprofessional and I am surprise and disappointed with the decision of the Government of Belize against me."
Jules Vasquez
"Why would the government have something against you?"
Colonel Javier Castellanos
"I would like to know myself Jules because the advisory council has made a decision. Why do they not honor the decision of the advisory council?"
Castellanos is two years and nine months away from retirement so his pension and gratuity are also at stake.
Email
Print