The trial of the 26 Magdalo soldiers led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV for their participation in the so-called Oakwood mutiny in 2003 resumes in about an hour.
Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, whose testimony last Nov. 29 was abruptly cut short when the accused walked out of Makati Judge Oscar Pimentel’s courtroom and proceeded to the Manila Peninsula Hotel to call for the withdrawal of support for the Arroyo administration, will be back at the witness stand.
The government is not taking any chances, fielding more than a thousand soldiers from the Army and Air Force in addition to police personnel to make sure there will be no Manila Peninsula standoff redux. Soldiers are posted as far as Buendia Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, a good distance from the courthouse on J. P. Rizal Road.
Outside the court buildling, Makati police chief Supt. Gilbert Cruz was giving instructions to troops. I heard him ordering an Army officer to prepare the snipers.
Journalists are being restricted to one end of the 14the floor, opposite to where Pimentel’s sala at Room 1407 is located. Only relatives and lawyers of the accused will be allowed inside the courtroom.
Members of the composite team of Army, Air Force and military police are taking their positions on the 14th floor. They are carrying yantok or rattan truncheon.
Ano iyan, juvenile court? Over here, only when a minor is taking the stand that the court bar people other than relatives and lawyers of the accused. Otherwise, it is open to the public.
I can understand for example policemen backing up guards at courthouses but to bar the public from witnessing such sensational trial is proof that Gloria and her minions are getting now really paranoid. The truth is a simple body check and checking of bags of people wanting to witness the trial in fact should suffice, but to call on a battalion of AFP soldiers to be there should be condemned by sane and freedom-loving Filipinos.
Abuso na iyan. Bakit hindi nila alam iyan? They should protest. The media should make emphasis on this unnecessary restriction. Let Dorobo prove that the Philippines is not yet a police state.
How can the lawyers of Trillanes, et al defend them now when they are themselves in detention? I wonder.
Would be good if one of the relatives could take notes of the proceedings and write about them.
“Makati police chief Supt. Gilbert Cruz was giving instructions to troops. I heard him ordering an Army officer to prepare the snipers.”
Whoa! Snipers…takutan talaga ha! What a bunch of supots! Dalawa lang ang uri ng pulis sa Pinas, worse cop and worst cop!
Paano na ngayon malaman ang nangyayari kung bawal ang news coverage?
Naranasan ko na rin na pati itong newpaper na binabasa ko ay namomonitor na.
Noong nakaraang linggo na pagpasok ko sa office, pagbukas ko ng bag para mag-inspection ang guard sabihin ba naman na:
“sino yang naka-posas sa dyaryo”
Aba’y sino pa ba ang nakaposas sa front page na binabasa ko kako.Kailangan pa bang itanong yun?
Isang beses pa nga dalawang buwan na ang nakakaraan. Itong locker ko ay pwersahang binuksan at may gagamit na raw na ibang empleyado.
Baklasin ba naman ang kandado ng locker ko?
Nakita tuloy nila ang isa sa mga laman nito: libro ni Raymond Palmer
http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Espionage-Making-Spy/dp/B000LUW8OU/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197348568&sr=1-13
Nalaman nya rin ang giant calamansi na tinatago ko dun, yung suha?
Over-acting si Makati police chief Supt. Gilbert Cruz. Bakit kailangan pa ang snipers? Parang war zone.
Diego,
Kasi takot na takot sila. Overacting na!
Ellen,
Re: “Soldiers are posted as far as Buendia Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, a good distance from the courthouse on J. P. Rizal Road.”
They are afraid not only that certain elements from the military might spring another surprise but also afraid that civilian components might stage a surprise rally.
Paranoid govt! Afraid of its own people, afraid of its own armies, afraid of the shadows that are lurking … Buti nga sa kanila!
Meanwhile, what about the forgotten war, i.e., Mindanao? Who’s there? The real enemies of the Republic are there!!!!!
Anna,
“Paranoid govt! Afraid of its own people, afraid of its own armies, afraid of the shadows that are lurking … Buti nga sa kanila!”
The soldiers and police must be tasked to lurk in the Trillanes’ vicinity, baka maisahan na naman sila ng mga ‘naughty’ Magdalos.
With an overkill number of soldiers guarding Sen. Trillanes, Gen. Lim and Co., Gloria is sending her European audience and kuya Dubya a message that she herself does not believe…that’s she’s in control and all’s well sa bahay ni Ate Gluerilla and the thieves!
the government knows that given a few more hours, trillanes’ group will have the support of the masses. the people will have enough time to gather in the streets. masyado na tong gobyerno na to! lahat na tumaas except for the height of gma and salaries of the people. people who should be benefiting the outcome of everyhting that gloria, bunye and other stupid malacanang people are bragging about. better economy? MUKHA NIYO! OO BUHAY NIYO MASASARAP! while people are dying of hunger!
Hi Yuko,
Wala sa bukabolaryo ng gobyernong GMA ang word na “ABUSO”, buti pa KALABOSO.
Di ba yon ang panakot ng gobyerno, pag kumontra ka eh rebellion ang ikakaso sa iyo… pag-idinaan sa korte eh GUILTY ang hatol.
Ngayon naman eh bata-batalyong boyskawtz at kabiskawtz ang todo-bantay sa ating magigiting na sina AT4/Gen. Lim and co.
Parang battleground, dapat yang magagaling nating pulis-patola eh ipadala sa Mindanao upang isabak sa mga abusayaf. Kita lang natin ang galing nila, pagpipiestahan sila ng RPG ng mga bandido.
O kaya yong mga Army con Air Force ni Esperon eh isabak sa mga MILF, for sure uuwi yan ng Manila eh nakacasket na.
Hi Chi,
Overkill talaga! Na sobra ata ang nerbiyos ng mga General Problems (barrias/esperon) natin sa PEN standoffs.
Ngayon naman eh bata-batalyong boyskawtz at kabiskwatz ang todo-batay sa mga bayani nating Katipunero. Takot lang nila kasi nga baka maulit uli yong walk-out at sa Malacanang ang diretso, sabay sipa kay GMA eh.
I’ve seen it all, in the Iraq conflict, Germans and Russians refuse to go to war.
Now in the Philippines, civilians (media) are protecting the soldiers from getting massacred (in the guise of “they resisted violently eh”).