by Victor Reyes
Malaya
A military court yesterday denied a motion of 17 military > officers, including two senatoriables, to dismiss the mutiny charges filed against them in connection with the alleged plan to overthrow the Arroyo government in February 2006.
The court did not buy into the contention of the accused, through their counsels, that the prosecution’s evidence against them are weak to sustain the charge of violation of
Article of war 67 (mutiny).
“After due deliberation, the court resolved to deny the motion of the accused,” said the ruling, read by law member Col. Marian Aleido, in dismissing the motion for finding of
not guilty.
Under the military justice system, the defense panel can file a motion to finding of not guilty once the prosecution rests its case. The prosecution formally rested its case last Oct. 15, prompting the defense to file the motion hours later.
The court granted the motion of 11 of the 28 accused on the same day because they were not included in the
documentary evidence or implicated by witnesses of the prosecution.
The 11 were Marines Col. Januario Caringal; Lt. Colonels Edmundo Malabanjot and Nestor Flordeliza; Maj. Francisco Domingo Fernandez; Captains Ruben Guinolbay, Frederick Sales and Allan Aurino; and First Lieutenants Ervin Divinagracia, Jacon Cordero, Sandro Sereno and Richiemel Caballes.
The court had deferred ruling on the 17 other accused to Oct. 27, 2009
pending review of the evidence against them. The 17 had been
mentioned by witnesses who took the witness stand and in the documentary evidence of the prosecution.
In the decision for the 17 officers today,the court only read the dispositive portion of the ruling and furnished the defense with a copy of the ruling a few hours later. Defense lawyers said they will file their motion for reconsideration in 10 days.
The ruling paves the way for the continuation of the trial
against the 17, if and when their motion for reconsideration
is denied. Since the prosecution had already rested its case, it’s now the defense turn to present its witnesses.
The 17 are led by former Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato
Miranda, former First Scout Ranger Regiment commander Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Marine Col. Ariel Querubin, the
perceived leaders of the plot.
The others are Cols. Orlando de Leon, and Armando Banez; Lt. Cols. Achilles Segumalian, and Custodio Parcon; Majs. Jason Aquino and Jose Leomar Doctolero; Capts. Isagani Criste, Montano Almodovar, James Sababan, Joey Fontiveros, William Upano, and Dante Langkit; and 1Lts. Homer Estolas and Belinda Ferrer
Lim and Querubin are running for senator in next year’s election.
Lim said he was expecting that he and the 16 others will be cleared, insisting that the prosecution was not able to prove the mutiny charge.
“I was expecting that all of us will be cleared because the prosecution wasn’t able to satisfy the element of mutiny,” he said.
He said the worse that he expected was that only him and a few others will be left to face further trial. “I was
expecting that more will be cleared in addition to the 11,” said Lim.
For his part, Querubin said he was saddened by the ruling.
He said the “body language” of the members of the court, chaired by Maj. Gen. Jogy Leo Fojas, showed beforehand that their motion will be denied.
Querubin, a recipient of the highest military decoration Medal of Valor, said he expected that only him and Lim would be left to be tried by the court martial.
Querubin implied that the case is being machinated by the Arroyo government. “Once GMA (President Arroyo) steps down, we’ll be free,” he said.
During the hearing, military prosecutor Col. Jose Feliciano Loy asked the court to be allowed a 15-day leave of court to gather evidence against three or four of the 11 officers who had been cleared by the court last Oct. 15.
The motion came three days after Loy asked the court to allow the prosecution to present newly-discovered evidence” against the 11 cleared officers and the 17
others.
Loy said the prosecution feels that they were not given a fair chance to adduce evidence against the accused. “If the prosecution was not given a fair chance, that is denial of due process,” said Loy.
The court denied the motion of Loy to allow the prosecution a 15-day
leave to gather and collate new evidence against the 11.
The court ordered the Trial Judge Advocate to submit report and recommend release of the 11 after 24 hours.
As Loy was making his argument, a disgusted Segumalian said the prosecution is playing the accused for a fool, noting that they being tried for about three years already. The
court told Segumalian to control his emotion and let his lawyers to argue.
Defense lawyer Vicente Verdadero opposed the motion, saying
“they (prosecution) had all the time to prepare (their case).
He also cited the issue of double jeopardy. “Acquittal is an acquittal, unless there is an exemption. Col. Loy or even the chief of staff cannot ask to reopen the case…You (Loy)
did your best but your best wasn’t good enough.”
Nakakalungkot nga.
Wala naman talagang kaso. Walang ebidensiya at nagsusumigaw ang katotohanang walang nilabag na utos noon ni Gen Senga at lalong hindi tumuloy sa binabalak na pamunuan ang mga gustong magmartsa kontra sa mang-aagaw, mandaraya at sinungaling na donya, isinuko ang sarili upang ikustodya ano pa ang pumipigil upang sila’y makalaya?
Nasaan ang tunay na hustisya?
Ang pagiging pantay ng katarungan?
‘Yung mga pusakal na kriminal at sumusupil sa mga ating karapatan ay buong laya sa pamamayagpag kasabay ang pagpapasasa sa kaban ng bayan at pagsalaula sa batas samantalang silang mga naninindigan para sa tama ay binubulok sa piitan?
Hanggang saan at kailan ang kawalanghiyaan ng mga manunupil na ‘yan?
Bayan, kilos na!
Military court junks motion to absolve 17 coup plotters
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/10/27/09/military-court-junks-motion-absolve-17-coup-plotters
I think the prosecution has just finished putting up a factory that would manufacture evidences to further pin all the “accused” in this mock trial. They may have also cloned some soldiers to present them as witnesses with injected testimonies against the presecuted officers.
Okey lang. Sige lang, Loloy.
Baka mamuti ang talampakan mo sa pagtakbo kung saan ka magtatago kapag tapos na ang termino ng mga amo mong aso? Pasasaan ba’t lilitaw din ang tunay na katotohanan.
Ano, Bigo? Healing pa ba ang tawag sa solusyong dapat sa katarantaduhang ito?
Scripted yan. Pinapalamig lang muna. Di pagsasabayin na pakakawalan mga yan. Baka lalong maging sikat agad sina Col Querubin at Gen Lim. Syempre kukuyugin ng media yun pag nagkataon. Sila ang magiging laman ng balita in this heated campaign season. Alam ng palasyo yan. Talo pa ang may bilyones nyan na pangampanya. Libreng publicity nga naman. . .baka nxt year na nila pakakawalan mga yan pag malapit nang bumaba si Putot. . hula ko lang. . .
Agree with you, henry.
What can I say but tamaan sana si Gloria at Asspweron ng mag-asawang lintek!
Supot hanggang libingan si Asspweron. Nanginginig sa takot isipin lang na makakalaya ang kanyang ipinakulong ng walang kasalanan. Sige Ass, enjoy the power and Gloria while they last, then magtago ka na isama si unana.
‘Yan din ang sapantaha ko, henry.
They maybe stretching their strings to the limit.
Imagine nga ‘yung libreng publisidad na makukuha ng dalawa? Bongga!
Dapat bantayan ang ungas na magsing-irog na almoranas at panduck na ‘yan.
Baka biglang magkasamang maglaho at humanap ng islang sila lang dalawa ang tatao!
Sus! ‘Kapapangit na Eba at Adan nila ‘yan!
Parang arinola at etsas!
Sus! ‘Kapapangit na Eba at Adan nila ‘yan!
Parang arinola at etsas! -MPR
Saktong sila nga, hehehe!
The court ordered the Trial Judge Advocate to submit report and recommend release of the 11 after 24 hours.
Has Trial judge advocate done it yet?
Kung ako ang tatanungin, ang mga sinasabi, ginagawa at binabalak ni Col Loy ay maliwanag na tawag hindi ng tungkulin KUNDI ng KAGUNGGUNGAN.
I’ve known some military lawyers but none of them is as stupid as Col Loy.
Anna, not yet.
ang sabi ni Loy, the prosecution was not given ‘fair chance’..did they ever give the accused a ‘fair chance” to defend themselves? kailan pa kaya narating ang mag indira gandhi kay putot? kailan pa kaya siya mag hara kiri sa kahihiyan? antus anay kita,,the days grow short ehen they reach Sept..kaya malapit na and her days are shorter than herself…
Ano daw, Rose? “the prosecution was not given ‘fair chance’..”
Goodness gracious me, they had full govt and military machines behind them and they say they weren’t given a fair chance?
Not only are they not being fair play, they also are becoming sore, whining losers.
Geez!
Sa ginagawa ng mga utuutong pulgas ng administrasyong ito, hindi ang “equality before the law” ang nagiging problema kundi “just and fair implementation of the law”.
Kapag silang magkakabalahibo ang nasasalang sa katiwaliang nagdudumilat naman ang mga ebidensiya’t batayan at pinatutunayan ng mga mapagkakatiwalaang saksi ay sinasalag nila ng sekyutib pribileyds subalit heto at wala naman talagang kaso ang mga kinulong na mga opisyal dahil lamang sa katangahan ni esperon at pagpapasikat niya kay panduck, bulok na nga sa kulungan subalit pinipilit pa rin nilang pagkaitan ng kalayaan.
Namamayani kasi ang pagkagahaman sa salapi at kapangyarihan ng mga sukab na walang pakundangan sa pagyurak sa Saligang Batas. Natatakot silang managot sa kanilang mga kasalanan sa sambayanan kaya ganyang ang alam nilang tanging tagapagtanggol ng ating karapatan ay kanilang sinusupil at ginipit.
Bayan, kilos na!
Rose, ‘musta ang Pinas? Welcome back!
Ano nga raw ba? “the prosecution was not given a fair chance..”
Hahaha! Nagpapatawa! The power is right behind them all the time, nagrereklamo pa.
Anong fair chance? Sa kanila ang Kangaroo Court, kakampi nila ang mga hukom at AFP top honchos. Walang ibang rason sa kanyang palusot na fair chance. Ginagago nila ang taumbayan.
Kung wala na si putot mairelease na sila? kung si Gibo ang manalo will he give them fair chance? kung si Chiz will he? I wonder..
Chi: thanks..due to a fracture of my left hand..I stayed longer..nandoon ako noong Ondoy..at nabasa ko sa diaryo na nagdonate si putot sa mga victims ng two months salary niya.. inawitan ko si Ellen na sasama ako sa kanya pagpunta niya sa kanila para ma meet ko sila Sen Trillanes, Gen Lim, Mranda, etc..pero hindi nangyari..ok lang hintayin ko nalang ang pag release sa kanila..total malapit na ang pagwalis kay putot..
From the very beginning of this case, railroaded na ang lahat ng proseso. Yung tuwid, binabaluktot at yung baluktot pilit na itinutuwid. The bottom line is, kahihiyan ni asspweron kung mananalo ang mga Tanay Boys. Hindi lang sampal sa super kapal na mukha niya kundi tadyak sa bugok niyang “balls”. Dahil sa kayabangan niya at kasisipsip niya kay boobuwit, nawala na ang lahat ng kahihiyan niya! kaya sa abot ng makakaya ni asspweron, pipigilan niya ang paglabas ng mga Tanay Boys!
Can somebody post the decision? I want to savor the squirming logic of the denial.
In the link posted by Magno, ang sabi:
Position paper? Mukhang Freudian slip yan. A position paper is usually filed by a proponent. In fact, the memoranda filed before the Labor Arbiter is called a position paper. Kahit sa escuela, kapag may pinagagawa, ang tawag ay reaction paper, or position paper.
Does this mean that the decision was “penned” by the prosecution?
Kapag wala talagang ebidensya, a denial of the motion for a finding of not guilty is a form of grave abuse. Puedeng dalhin na sa court of appeals, or Supreme Court.
Will post some US jurisprudence on this in a few days.
SnV, I’ll follow that up (the position paper) when i get back to Manila tomrrow. I’m in Cebu. I left the courtroom immediately after the reading of the decision on the 17 (about 2:30 pm) to catch up with my flight to Cebu yesterday.
I’m participating in a Southeast Asia Media Defence Litigation Conference. Aside from media, majority of the participants are judges and prosecutors. My assignment is to talk about challenges to internet media freedom and responsibilities.
huwag kayong masyadong mag-alala mga bagong bayani ng bayan. makakalabas din kayo next year kasi mai iba na ang gobyerno.
gloria countdown: 244 days na lang!