by Victor Reyes
Malaya
The military tribunal hearing the case against 28 Army and Marine officers linked to the alleged withdrawal of support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006 will hear today the motion of the defense to mutiny charges for lack of evidence.
In a demurrer, lawyer Vicente Verdadero, counsel for 15 officers including Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, said “assuming the facts alleged by the prosecution to be true, said facts do not in law sustain the charge of mutiny.”
Verdadero said seven of his clients – Lt. Cols. Nestor Flordeliza and Edmundo Malabanjot; Capts. Ruben Guinolbay, and Frederick Sales, and 1Lts. Ervin Divinagracia, Sandro Sereno, and Jacon Cordero – were not even mentioned in the evidence or exhibits of the prosecution panel.
Verdadero also wants dismissed the case against former Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim; Maj. Leomar Jose Doctolero; Captains Isagani Criste, Joey Fontiveros, William Victorino Upano, Dante Langkit, and 1Lts. Homer Estolas and Richiemel Caballes.
Verdadero said that while his eight clients were mentioned affidavits submitted by the prosecution, the prosecution evidence could not sustain a charge of attempted mutiny based on the definition by the US Manual for Courts-Martial, where the AFP Manual for Courts-Martial was patterned.
Quoting from the US manual, Verdadero said that for an accused to be indicted for attempted mutiny, he must have committed a certain overt act, that the accused must have specific intent to commit the offense of mutiny, that the act amounted to more than mere preparation and that the act apparently tended to effect the commission of the offense of mutiny.
“With the above definition of attempted mutiny as the yardstick, the evidence of the prosecution could not sustain the charge of attempted mutiny. There is not a single overt act shown in the prosecution evidence which could be considered as constituting an attempt to commit mutiny,” said Verdadero. “The exhibits or evidence of the prosecution talk of nothing but ideas, plans, and discussions among some of the accused but they did not mention or describe how any one of the accused did perform any act that would be an attempt to bring into fruition the alleged ideas, plans and discussions.”
In so far as Lim is concerned, Verdadero said the affidavits of then Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, then Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Jose Reyes, and then Navy chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga and then AFP deputy chief of staff for intelligence Maj. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang do not prove the guilt of Lim.
“They prove that no attempt to commit mutiny was committed by accused Gen. Lim when then CSAFP (chief of staff, AFP) Gen. (Generoso) Senga ordered him, Gen. (Renato) Miranda and Col. (Ariel) Querubin not to push through with their plans to provide leadership to the military elements who could not be dissuaded from joining the protest march on 24 February 2006,” said Verdadero.
He added that Lim, Miranda and Querubin readily followed Senga’s order. He said Lim went back to his quarters in Fort Bonifacio. “It is also mentioned in the affidavits (of Esperon, Reyes, Mayuga and Maclang) that Gen. Lim, in order to dispel doubts, in the early morning of 24 Feb. asked Senga and Esperon to place him under their custody and indeed he was taken into custody by Senga.”
Verdadero’s 15 clients have been in jail for more than two years now. – Victor Reyes
I pray the court will listen to the plea of the officers and render them the much delayed justice.
A fitting Christmas gift.
Sino ngayon ang ikukulong natin Gabriela… kapag napawalang sala ang wala naman talang kasalanan na magigiting nating sundalo?
Bobo talaga ang rehimeng Arroyo and her lapdogs… kasalanan ba ang mag withdraw ng support kung ayaw na sa kanyang ka ek ekan.
This is our free will, human right and liberty sa isang bansang demokrasya… yaks, wala nga palang demokrasya sa Pinas kasi po e pinaghaharian ng isang illegitimate President not once but twice.
So, childish nga pala kung sa kanila tayo hihingi ng hustisya sapagka’t wala sa bokabularyo nila ang gumalang sa karapatang pang-tao.
Kaya sariling sikap tayo mga igan…tulad nina Gens. Lim & Miranda and co., hay salamat sa tulong ng mga pinagpipitaganan nating makabayang Pinoy e halos 2-years na nakipag bunong-braso upang pabulaanan ang kasinungalingan ng AFP na lumilitis sa kanilang kaso.
Kita nýo mga bobo talaga…e itong nangyari sa Paranaque, nakipag-upakan ba naman sa mga notorious gangs akala nila tulad din nilang bobo ang mga ito, but mas wise syiempre kaya hayon ang daming natepok.
Pwede nang idismiss yang kaso, wala nang clout si Assperson. Tinanggal na siya sa peace panel, wala na rin siyang budget siguro. Tapos na ang gamitan. Thank-you-girl ka na lang Esperon!
Esperon is still influential in Arroyo’s government. Don’t count him out. Generals like him are very much needed by the Evil Bitch for her to remain in power.
sino ang kukulungin ngayon? di si Gloria Arroyo, si Mike Arroyo, si Esperon, si Abalos, etc. I am sure there are more than 28 who should be in jail..and rightfully so…
Ellen,
How many years did it take to reveal that there was no mutiny?
It should have been dismissed 3 months after the purported mutiny because military lines are clear cut. In ordinary conditions, the decision virtually depends on the CSAFP, after all, he was the one that gave the command to stop the plans but heck, in this country where the rule of law is an exception rather than the rule, took bloody years and tears to get a simple military order cleared… Sanamagan, what a country!
Ang sarap malasin Rose…kung makikita ng ating dalawang mata na magkakasamang naghihimas ng rehas na bakal itong mga kurap at nagtaksil sa ating Bayan not only once but twice.
Kumpleto pala sila sa kulungan… may presidente sila, president emeritus, cabinet secretary, senator, tongressman, LGUs, general problems, bishops, civil society at marami pang iba.
Asspweron is very much still an influencial figure in the evil bitches’ kingdom! Siya and nandaya para sa evil bitch, nagprotekta sa kanya at the expense of these 28 men. Malakas pa sa bagyo itong walanghiyang ito kay evil bitch! I am praying so hard na sana the panel will not just blindly follow the corrupt law of the AFP ( Armed forces of the Pidal), that somehow they take into account that these officers have families too. Tama na ang sham and kangaroo court!
Balweg, it is a fact that all our government officials who erred get away with their crimes. Yung mga katulad lang mga sundalo natin ang kinakaya nila.
PSB,
Right! Pero against Malaysians generals and soldiers, luhod ang gagong Esperon na yan.
Anna, the evilbitches’ treasury may now have dried up or the people are watching very closely how she enters into contracts with other countries to prevent her from getting more “tongpats” so the asspweron will have to look for greener pastures and the Malaysians may be giving that to him. This leech can never get enough of blood money!
The problem here is our law education. The schools are not definite and dont teach the many ways to kill a cat.
Off-topic:
Ellen,
Taga saan si LTCOL Nestor Flordeliza. Kasi we have the same last name.
pitikan na lang kaya ng itlog para malaman kung sino ang tunay na lalaking matapang?!
kung sino ang tunay na may itlog at kanino ang dekorasyon lamang!
Judges in our country are viewed to be corrupt. The enormous backlog of cases reinforce the weakness and the true image of our Judiciary.
According to Global Integrity Report/Survey , Judicial Accountability is weak. Global Integrity Report
When Judicial system is weak, it further weakens the implementation of the Rule of Law. Oftentimes the victims are the people. The political rights and civil liberties are not protected and respected.
According to Freedomhouse.org 2008 survey for freedom of the world, Cases in the Sandiganbayan anti-corruption court takes 6-7 years to resolve. The court system has a backlog of more than 800,000 case.. OMG.
In addition: Philippine country rating on political rights and civil liberties has dropped from 3 to 4 in 2007.
with 1 representing the most free and 7 the least free.
Freedom House Philippine Rating
Panalo na.
Verdadero has turned the issue into a pure question of law. Kahit talo sa panel, the decision can be elevated to the Court of Appeals and later to the Supreme Court.
Kung wala talagang elements, mahirap himasin.
Next move, damages.
Dapat lang atty36252…kasalanan ba ang mag withdraw ng support sa isang kurap at sinungaling na presidente?
Dapat ang kasuhan ng treason e yaong mga conspirators ng EDSA 2? Kaya ang taong-bayan e walang respeto sa sa ating gobyerno at awtoridad, kasi nga ganito yon…sila ang numero unong violators ang ating mga batas na umiiral. Opppss! Wala nga palang ngipin ang mga batas sa atin sapagka’t ang kinakaya lamang yaong less fortunate na Pinoy at maykinikilingan.
Pakawalan ang walang sala, at ikulong ang lahat ng kurap at pasaway sa ating lipunan.
Magno, bakit Muslim ang handle mo? Mag-aasawa ka ba ng apat?
tongue,
sinikwester ko lang itong kompyuter ng kasama ko dahil nasa bakasyon siya. eh, tamang tama me internet siya (ito) ‘yung sa akin wala dahil sa mga sinalibad ng lintok na mga sipsep na ET (IT) ayaw akong i-sign on.
ako ngayon ang pansamantanlang pumalit sa kanya, pero working sa position, hindi tulad niya, palibhasa tiyo ng PD kaya always sleeping sa kanyang posisyon. Human Resource Manager daw siya, eh ako makapagsasabi Hohummm dapat ‘yung sa kanya.
AM,
Totoo ba na hindi ka si Magno kasi pati style ninyo ay pareho.
chi,
ano ba sa palagay mo?
kinokopya ko lamang ang kaibigan n’yong si magno? o naniniwala kayong ako nga ito, si magno?
pero, alam mo, ang gulo ng tanong mo.
dapat “AM, ikaw nga ba si magno kasi pati style ninyo ay pareho?”
d’yan, sisigaw pa ako ng………………………………
“AKO NGA ITO, WALA NANG IBA!!!”
at bilang patunay, plis rid da pers hirit op Abdollah Mouawad isteyting der in his e-meyl adres MRivera@almabani.com.sa.
dalangin ang pabaon ko sa mga sasama sa rali bukas (biyernes) at sana sa pagkakataong ito ay matutong magsakripisyo ang mga kababayan nating direktang naaapektuhan ng mga kabalbalan ng kasalukuyang naghaharing masasama sa pamahalaan.
mga kababayan, isang araw po lamang ang inyong ilaan upang mapakinggan ang tunay na tinig ng sambayanan. huwag ninyong panghinayangan o gawing kawalan ang isang araw na hindi ninyo ipaghahanapbuhay kumpara sa halos walong taon na nating ipinagdurusa sa kamay ng mga sukab at ipagdurusa pa sa susunod na mga panahon kung patuloy kayong magsasawalang-kibo at ipagkikibit balikat ang mga kawalanghiyaan ng mga magnanakaw at kawatan at pangingibabawin ang katwirang “magsasawa din ang mga ‘yan”.
paano kung walang nang susunod na pagkakataon dahil sa inyong kapabayaan?
magsisisi na lamang kayo at hahayaang magpatuloy ng pagpapasan ng dusa ang inyong mga anak at magiging apo?
bayan, gising na, baka abutin na naman kayo ng muling paglubog ng araw at ang susunod na umaga’y hindi na ninyo magisnan!
chi,
nawala ang sagot ko sa tanong mo sa itaas, minumulto ‘ata ako dito.
kung gusto mong malaman kung ako nga o hindi si magno, e-mail me sa MRivera@almabani.com.sa.
doon malalaman mo kung ako nga o hindi ang itinatanong mo.
ang labo, ba?
he he he he he!
Ha!ha!ha!, welkam back! Sus, miss na miss na kita! ‘musta ang genius mong daughter?