Marami ang nadismaya sa pag-plead guilty ng 11 na Magdalo officers noong Martes sa paglabag ng Article of War no. 96, Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer and Gentleman.
Dahil wala silang media access, hindi nila masyado mapaliwanag ang kanilang desisyon. ngunit sa pagkakilala ko sa kanila, hindi nila ibebenta and kanilang paninindigan at hindi ko naman sila narinig na nag-affirm ng loyalty kay Gloria Arroyo.
Sa institusyon ng military, oo. Sa bayan oo. Hindi naman pag-aari ni Arroyo ang institusyon at ang bayan.
Ang nangyari noong Martes ay sa court martial. Hindi sa civilian court. Tuloy ang kaso sa civilian court ng coup sa nangyari sa Oakwood at rebellion naman sa Manila Peninsula.
Alam ko sa dami ng kaso ng Magdalo sa court martial at civilian courts, nakakalito. Lalo pa meron Oakwood na nangyari noong 2003 at meron parin Manila Peninsula na nangyari noong Nobyembre 2007.
Palagi nga napaghalo-halo ng mga reporter ang kaso ng Magdalo at ng grupo nina Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda (kasama dito sina Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, Col. Ariel Querubin at iba pa) na sangkot naman sa plano kuno ng withdrawal of support kay Arroyo noong Feb. 2006.
Noong Martes, sa court-martial hearing sa Camp Aguinaldo ng ang sinasabing Oakwood mutiny, iniba ng 11 na opisyal ang kanilang plea mula sa “not guilty” sa “guilty” sa paglabag ng isang provision sa Articles of War na Connduct Unbecoming of an Officer and Gentleman. Ang mga opisyal ay sina Marines Capt. Gary Alejano and Navy Lt. (s.g.) James Layug, Lt. (s.g.) Eugene Gonzales, Andy Torrato, at Manuel Cabochan; Captains Francisco Ashley Acedillo and Segundino Urpiano; 1Lt. Billy Pascua; Lt. Arturo Pascua; 2Lt. Jonnel Sanggalang; and, Ensign Armand Pontejos.
Maala-ala natin na ang kaso sa civilian court ay nangyari dahil tumalikod sa usapan si Gloria Arroyo. Sa Oakwood, kaya nag-surrender sina Trillanes dahil may kasunduan sila nina dating Chief of Staff Roy Cimatu (sugo ni Arroyo) na ang kasuhan lamang ay ang mga lider sa military court. Sinabi sa usapan na wala dapat kaso sa civilian court.
Ay wala nga palabra de honor si Arroyo. At atat na atat si Esperon na balikan ang grupo kaya sinampahan ng coup sa civilian court. Nililitis yan ngayon. Dito umamin ng guilty sina Capt Gerardo Gambala at Milo Maestrocampo.
Ang nangyari noong Martes ay naging posible dahil sa bagong “atmosphere” sa military sa ilalim ni Chief of staff Alexander Yano. Nag-usap ang mga Magdalo opisyal kay Yano bago nangyari ang kanilang plea bargain.
Sana hindi sirain ni Yano ang pagtitiwala ng mga idealistic na opisyal na ito.
Samantala ito ang pahayag ni Atty. Trixie Angeles, abogada ni Marine Capt. Nick Faeldon, na hanggang ngayon ay pinaghahanap ng kapangyarihan.
Yesterday, eleven officers of what is known as the Magdalo group pleaded guilty to the offense of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. This statement is not a comment on their act but one on those remaining officers who have not opted to cop a plea.
Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon, has always maintained his stand not to cop a plea on any of the offenses by which he is charged. His actions speak of the battle he has undertaken against a false and corrupt president. A plea of guilt, will be tacit admission of the power exercised by a leader who has no mandate, and such an act will ultimately ratify that power. He cannot and will not recognize that power.
He is willing to pay for his intransigence, as he has always been willing to take the consequences of his actions. He has taken the difficult path and will stay the course.
It is also in this light that we should view the courageous stand of Marine 2nd Lts. Alquin Canson, Edwin Duetao and Junnibert Tubo as well as Army 1st Lt. Warren Lee Dagupon, to stay in trial.
ATTY. TRIXIE CRUZ-ANGELES
Counsel for Cpt. Nicanor Faeldon
2nd Lt. Edwin Duetao and 2nd Lt. Junnibert Tubo
Related articles:
Trillanes, Faeldon will never plead guilty
Inquirer story on same subject
Magdalo still solid, Trillanes bloc insists
Tuloy pa rin ang pakikipaglaban laban sa katiwalian!
Ang problema lang ang AFP at PNP nagpapagamit sa Donya kaya’t malaki ang kasalanan ng mga institusyon sa sambayanang Pilipino. Bakit hinahayaan nilang manatili sa pwesto ang isang tiwaling pamamahala?
Ang unang kasalanan ng AFP at PNP ay ang pagsuporta sa sabwatang nagpatalsik sa halan ng taumbayan noong 2001. Hindi nila sinunod ang sinumpaang tungkuling pangalagaan ang interes ng bayan.
Our dreams will never die!!! Tuloy ang laban!
Tinalikuran ni Gloriang Sinungaling ang agreement niya sa Magdalo. At dahil hindi ito nakasulat ay walang habol ang Magdalo. Kung verbal agreement lang wala itong puntos sa korte kahit si Cimatu pa ang magpatunay. Lesson learned: Kapag sinimulan ay buti pa na tapusin!
Ellen and Atty Trixie,
Baka meron kayo na photos nina Magdalo officers Canson, Duetao Tubo and Dagupon. We should be able to recognize anywhere the the faces of the bravest officers and soldiers of our country.
Anybody who works for the criminal should be subject to doubt. I was hoping Yano would be valiant enough to tell Gloria to stop using and regarding the military and the police as her own private army, and stop regarding the criminal as their Commander in Chief. Cheat, yes, but not Chief.
In short, si Yano wala ring belesa. Nada. Sabi nga sa Ilocano, “Awan!” Puro yabang lang!
Ang dapat maintindihan ng mga tao o ng lahat ng mga sundalo ay: Si Yano ay empleyado ni tiyanak pidal. Hindi sya self-employed o independent contractor. Ang AFP ay kontrolado at sakmal ni tiyanak pidal.
The job of Yano under the command of Tiyanak pidal is to make AFP look good. How? To create an appearance that there are no disgruntle soldiers. That soldiers love AFP. In short, they are united.
If there is an appearance of a united AFP then it will be easier for tiyanak pidal to declare Martial Law or emergency rule.
Magtitiwala ako kay YA-NO kung susundin niya ang simpleng pormula mula sa kanyang pangalan:
YA- (or yes) to protect our Constitution
NO- to Gloria Kurakot and her illegal orders
By the way, the meaning of the name Alexander (Greek origin) is “Defender Of Men”.
Off topic:
Did you notice there are confirmation en masse of government officials by CA? Why?
Ellen, hindi lang diyan naguguluhan ang mga tao. Ako nga naguguluhan din bakit may nag-plead guilty samantalang may naiwan. Sa tono ni Trixie, parang nasa higher moral ground yung mga naiwan. Parang heroic ang dating. I do not have a military mind, can someone enlighten me?
I don’t think this is about trusting Yano or not. It is about being consistent. Si GMA consistent na sinungaling yan. Sina Cpt. Faeldon consistent sa sinasabing sinungaling si GMA. Kung magsisinungaling siya para makalabas lang, wag na. If you want to challenge the “leadership” you have to abide by the same standards by which you hold them up. Oo nga at sinungaling si GMA, e kung sinungaling ka din, walang maniniwala sa iyo.
The Magdalo went to Oakwood to tell the truth. They should continue to do so. The remaining officers are 2nd and 1st lieutenants, and they have shown us the way.
Tongue, kaya nga humihingi na ako ng pictures e!
Fly-by, nice argument.
They change tactics. They use now the good cop approach at the interrogation room. Aspy’s bad cop tactics paid well but Yano’s good cop is expected to get Trillanes has more lives to offer Gloria…
errata..good cop is expected to get Trillanes wished he has…
Philippine Independence Day ngayon, pero ngayon lang walang military parade na ginagawa sa Luneta. Ito ay dahil sa laki ng takot ni Gloria na baka mapahiya siya kung hindi siya saluduhan ng mga sundalo. Marami kasi talagang junior officers at mga lower ranks ang hindi naniniwala kay Gloria na siya ang dapat nilang Commander-in Chief. Si Gloria kasi ay kinikilallang Commader-in-Thief(Cheat). At takot din niyang baka duon pa biglang magkaroon ng WITHDRAWAL of Support! Isa lang ang ibig sabihin nito… HINDI SOLIDO ang Armed Forces of the Philippines!!!
At yung Speech ni Gloria Engkantada ngayon ay puro pambobola na naman. Halata pa na yung speech in English ay ginamitan ng translator program sa computer para i-translate to Tagalog, kaya ang sagwa, at kung minsan ay nakakatawa ng dating. Pwede ba kumuha naman siya ng magaling talaga gumawa ng speech in Tagalog.
Luz,
Takot pati si Gloria na iba ang isaludo sa kanya sa Luneta, baka siya matumba.
How to make an appearance that there are no disgruntle soldiers? To do that there must be no high profile military prisoners. How? Offer them a bait that they could not resist but must plead guilty before tiyanak pidal will give them freedom. Just like the 11 Magdalo soldiers.
Yung military parade ni Anwar Sadat and tumodas sa kanya. Napansin din pala ni Luzviminda.
Pero yung paglipat ng Araw ng Kalayaan paglapastangan iyan sa bansa. Iyan ang birthday ng Pilipinas bilang isang Republika.
Si Gloria kaya, payag siyang palitan natin ang birthday niya? Gawin nating Feb. 30!
Tongue, except for Sen. Trillanes, the cases of the other junior officers are different.
Their cases are similar to the 53 who were released last December after they entered a plea bargain for “conduct prejudicial to public order” in exchange for dropping the mutiny charge.
I think Alquin Canson, Edwin Duetao, Junnibert Tubo and Warren Lee Dagupon are confident that they can prove they didn’t commit mutiny and they are willing to suffer longer imprisonment to have the charge dismissed. Admirable stand.
Tongue, the reason for the confusion is because when the Gambala-Maestrecampo group pleaded guilty — first at their court martial then later in the RTC — this same group that pleaded guilty now called the Gamabala group sell-outs and cowards. Now they are doing the same thing. These two groups may have different intentions for the things that they do, but the fact that they have done the same things (plead guilty), tends to tar them both with the same brush.
If pleading guilty was so bad for Gambala et al, why do we make excuses for this last group now?
Some people are now saying that pleading guilty in the court martial is okay because may nangyari nga naman. Basta daw, wag mag plead guilty sa RTC, which really is beside the point.
Both the court martial and the RTC case stem from the same event: Oakwood. They went there for a reason — to tell the truth behind policies undertaken by the AFP that were directly inimical to the national interest. Was that wrong? If they did it, and they think they were right pleading guilty is directly contrary to that act.
They went to Oakwood, they knew that they could die there. Buti nga jail lang. Kung sa kamatayan di sila natakot e.
Precisely, Klingon. thanks.
Tingnan natin kung ano ang next step ng military leadership after na mag-plead guilty ng iba pang Magdalo officers. Dapat ay bigyan din ng pardon yang mga iyan kung patas ang namumuno dahil pareho lang naman yung kanilang mga kaso, di bah?
chi,
Baka kasi yung saludong ibigay kay Gloria Engkantada ay imbes na palm-down ay…naka-‘dirty finger’. Hehehe!
Luz,
E kung may pulbura pa iyong dirty finger. heheh!