Last Monday, Trial Judge Advocate Col. Feliciano Loy told the court martial trying the 28 officers accused of mutiny in connection with the February 2006 alleged plan to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo following the revelation of the “Hello Garci” tapes, that had AFP Chief of Staff Alexander Yano approved their recommendation, the accused would have been very happy.
That was unusual because as head of the prosecution panel, it’s Loy’s job to make life difficult for the accused. And he performed that job well in the almost three years of trying the case, which is now in the pre-trial stage. The minor cases of conduct unbecoming of an officer and gentleman and conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline have been dropped after two years without arraignment of the accused.
But it turned out that beneath Loy’s belligerent demeanor is a desire to correct injustice brought on the officers who only did what they have sworn to do as a soldier.