by Ashzel Hachero
Malaya
Reporter Alvin Elchico of ABS-CBN and a close friend and townmate of one of the Magdalo leaders, former Army Capt. Milo Maestrecampo, took the witness stand for the defense Tuesday and said he never heard the soldiers holed up at Oakwood hotel talk of any plan to take over the government or attack their fellow soldiers who had been ranged against them.
The soldiers led by detained senator Antonio Trillanes are being tried for coup d’etat at the Makati regional trial court.
Elchico said he was inside Oakwood with the Magdalos who stayed at the hotel from 4 am to 10 pm on July 27, 2003. He said he interviewed several of the group’s leaders including then Navy Lt. Trillanes.
Elchico told defense lawyer Ernesto Francisco that the junior military officers aired their grievances against the government while calling for the resignation of then Defense secretary Angelo Reyes, then Philippine National Police director Hermogenes Ebdane and former Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Victor Corpuz.
He said he saw no explosives inside the hotel the entire time he was there.
Francisco said Elchico’s testimony bolstered their contention that the Oakwood incident was not a coup d’etat. “Their going to Oakwood was only to expose irregularities in the Armed Forces of the Philippines including the sale of weapons and ammunitions to rebels and the military offensive on the Buliok Complex in Pikit, North Cotabato, as well as corruption in the government.”
The prosecution said Elchico’s testimony has no bearing on the case. “The defense could have even presented their case without him since we had already agreed to stipulate that there was no violence during the Oakwood mutiny,” said state prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera.
He said the threat and intimidation was leveled by the Magdalos not against the civilian employes of Oakwood but at the government. “It is precisely why the case of coup d’etat was filed against them, the threat and intimidation were directed at the duly-constituted authorities.”
Navera also pointed out that Elchico said during cross-examination that Trillanes was against negotiation.
“(Elchico) told the court that Trillanes was against negotiation and that he almost threw the telephone when (Elchico) gave it to (him) to talk to presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye. If their going in to Oakwood was just to raise soldiers’ grievances why did he refuse to negotiate?”
Still to be called by the defense to testify are former Social Welfare secretary Corazon Soliman, Army general Cardozo Luna, former AFP chief Generoso Senga, AFP inspector general Lt. Gen. Ferdinand Bocobo, Malacañang’s Records Office chief Marcela Rafanan and Senate Legislative Archives head Antonio Barros.
In any language the chain of command was humiliated but the Articles of War has no appropriate recipe to cover it. Only a bad stew if ever one can be concocted.
If the Magdalos had no plan to take over government, then what was the real reason for the professional soldiers to be out at Oakwood Hotel and planted explosives? If “Their going to Oakwood was only to expose irregularities in the Armed Forces of the Philippines including the sale of weapons and ammunitions to rebels and the military offensive on the Buliok Complex in Pikit, North Cotabato, as well as corruption in the government.” Magdalos could’ve easily done it without putting civilians in harms way. If wasn’t taking over whore Gloria’s govt why the professional soldiers went to all that trouble and to just came up short? Kinda late now to make excuses, after all these years. As I see it, it was poor planning by the professional soldiers without much support from the population, an error in judgement. Neverthless, the soldiers, and as much as we supported their failed action, at least, it made life miserable for whore Gloria. I still strongly believe, professional soldiers has no place in politics. Two wrongs doesn’t make it right!
There’s no way that any positive points in favor of the Magdalo will be entertained by the evilbitch’s courts.
Korap Kwin Gloria is so scared of this group, at least the courageous remaining ones, that she wants them forever muted (same as the Tanay boys) than respect and follow the rules of court and Pinas Constitution.
Was there any doubt in anybody’s mind the intent of the Magdalo soldiers when they took over the Oakwood Hotel? At least, at the time, on my part, I believe the action the Magdalos took was to overthrow whore Gloria, coup d’etat. I was hoping they’d succeed in kicking out whore Gloria, but little did I know. Pilipinos loves winners, if the Magdalos were successful they’d been heroes, but they failed. And, what they did is no different of what Angelo Reyes, and others did. So, precedent has already been established. Normally, if they’d be found guilty, treasonous Angelo Reyes and Company should also be guilty of the same charges. But, this is Philippines, only the losers suffers, while the true criminals are getting away. Such a life in the Philippines!
Definitely, Trillanes, et al wanted to present the state of the nation to the sleeping Filipinos and wake them up from their deep slender, and the bombs they planted around Oakwood was more as “spice” as when one is cooking stew, not intended to use against the people but the people against the oppressors should they join the action that lamentably did not escalate into a mass action. I say “lamentably” because I expected that the Filipinos would be wiser not to let the criminal go on acting as if hers was a legitimate reign, and hoped would stop her from running for the presidency as she had announced the December before that event.
But, wala, nawala na yata ang mga tunay na matatapang ng pilipino. Either patay na talaga o nawalan na ng pag-asang may magagawa pa after the failure of EDSA 1 to bring real change! Ibinalik lang kasi sa puesto iyong mga dating kurakot sa totoo lang. Walang namang sumibol na bago. Anak din at mga apo ng mga dating mandurugas ang namayani gaya ni Gloria Tapalani Makapalgal!
It’s very predictable, Magdalos trial is a foregone conclusion! The Magdalos, unless they surrender to whore Gloria’s desires, will not be acquitted. Whore Gloria, to remain in power, couldn’t afford to let those Magdalos free, obviously. The Magdalos are nothing but sacrificial pawns, only numbers on whore Gloria’s evil scheme of things. Surely, whore Gloria couldn’t careless about those Magdalos nor their families. Its them against whore Gloria’s legacy, and whore Gloria seems has the upper hand. The only way those remaining Magdalos still being incarcerated to be free, is if the One Million Pilipinos march to rid of whore Gloria. All the Courts and Judges in the Philippines will not free the Magdalos, as we already know, they’re own by whore Gloria, paid in full with brown bags. The way it is in whore Gloria’s enchanted kingdom. Play whore Gloria’s game or you don’t play at all!
“the bombs they planted around Oakwood was more as “spice” as when one is cooking stew, not intended to use against the people…” Deadly bombs only spice? That’s a great one. How about this for justification, I also thought the gun is not loaded. Bang!
Trillanes and Company, Magdalos and the people lost this round to whore Gloria. There is no other way of seeing this. Move on and go all the way next time, even to the point of over cooking the bombs. You can’t do it halfway and/or bahal na. When dealing with criminal minds the like of whore Gloria one must be prepared to give up life.
OK so the Magdalos surrounded the Oakwood with explosives, but they never actually even attempted to fire them, and that is a fact!!!
I should know, because we watched the whole exercise via camera and the video clips transmitted to the TV here ready for edition for the morning, afternoon and evening news. I, for one, still very much attached to the land of my birth, was very, very disappointment that no one came to embibe them to real action. Di sana wala na si La Whore!
We were in fact ready to call it as a coup d’etat but we ended up looking for the Japanese equivalent of mutiny that it turned out to be. During breaks, I actually called up members of Sison’s group in Japan, and was talking to the producer at the TV where I was doing translation to ready a TV crew to send to them for additional news on Filipinos in Japan in sympathy with the Magdalos, but nothing doing. Nakakadismaya sa totoo lang!
The point is do majority of Filipinos still want to be robbed of their rights to live with dignity by the La Whore or not? Golly, binigyan lang ng isang supot ng bigas paid with money from the coffers, dyinosa na si La Whore! Mga wala kasing alam sa mga karapatan nila gaya ng karapatan nilang huwag magutom.
Kawawang bansa!
It’s a great feeling to see Gloria forever looking frightened due to the aftermath of the Oakwood. Naisahan pa siya ni Kapitan Nick.
“The threat wasn’t to the nation, it was to her bank account and her life”. – from Cocoy’s Delight
Nakana mo, Cocoy!
Proud na proud noon si Alvin Elchico sa kababata niya. Dahil doon sa Oakwood, nagkaroon siya ng chance to shine kaya ngayon sikat na si Alvin. Nung bumaliktad si Maestrecampo di na siya binabanggit ni Alvin.
Hanggang ngayon binabanatan pa siya sa radio program nila ni Cheryl Cosim ng text brigade dahil nagtestify siya para sa defense ng Magdalo.
The author of this article’s last name is Hachero. I wonder if he’s related to one Manny Hachero, a choreographer I met in the 70s. Since the author writes for Malaya, I hope Ellen could help me with my inquiry. Thanks.
I’ll ask Ashzel.
Excuse me, as far as the court records go, walang bombs na nahanap sa Oakwood. Ask any of the lawyers to produce the records. Wala sa inventory sheet duon sa Fort Bonifacio at walang naiprisinta sa court. It is useless for any witness to testify to the presence of bombs if the prosecution cannot show them. Even the pictures of the incident show wires, but the so-called ‘bombs’ don’t appear.
The guns that the accused brought to Oakwood are part of the uniform. Ito anj testimony ni Gen. Lim last November 27, 2007. If there was any intimidation it was brough about by the fact that the officers were armed with the truth. Dyan na-intimidate si GMA kaya she wanted to bomb the hotel to kingdom come.
Excuse me, as far as the court records go, walang bombs na nahanap sa Oakwood. Ask any of the lawyers to produce the records. Wala sa inventory sheet duon sa Fort Bonifacio at walang naiprisinta sa court. It is useless for any witness to testify to the presence of bombs if the prosecution cannot show them. Even the pictures of the incident show wires, but the so-called ‘bombs’ don’t appear.
The guns that the accused brought to Oakwood are part of the uniform. Ito anj testimony ni Gen. Lim last November 27, 2007. If there was any intimidation it was brought about by the fact that the officers were armed with the truth. Dyan na-intimidate si GMA kaya she wanted to bomb the hotel to kingdom come.