By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Officers detained at an Army camp in Tanay town, Rizal province accused the military leadership of cutting off their cellular phone signals during a hearing on their mutiny case on Friday.
“Our signal has been cut off. I know for the fact that convicted criminals, especially those in Muntinlupa, are not allowed to communicate outside. In our case, we are not yet guilty,” ex-Marine commandant Major General Renato Miranda, the highest-ranked of the 28 accused, told the court.
“After submitting ourselves to the process, I cannot see any reason why we are treated this way,” added Miranda.
Except for Army Captain Dante Langkit, who is detained at Fort Bonifacio, all of the accused officers are detained in Camp Capinpin, the headquarters of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division.
During the hearing, the six-man court again failed to arraign the accused officers after they ejected five court presidents. Before the hearing adjourned, Major General Jogy Fojas, deputy chief of staff for operations, was installed as head of the tribunal.
In a manifestation before the court, Army Captain Ruben Guinolbay scored the proceedings as a “mockery of justice.”
“You and I know that this trial is now being used by politicians for their own interests. We are undergoing the mockery of justice here,” he said.
Langkit, on the other hand, scored the military’s alleged “inhuman treatment” of his group.
“Is this what they say, rule of law? Is this what we are teaching [soldiers] in training schools,” he said.
The 28 officers, led by ex-Army Scout Rangers chief Brigadier General Danilo Lim and Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin, allegedly planned to lead soldiers in a mass withdrawal of support from Arroyo last February 24, 2006.
Miranda allegedly knew of the plan. His sudden relief prompted Querubin to lead a standoff at the Marine headquarters in Fort Bonifacio on February 26, 2006.
Can the “..cutting off their cellular phone signals ..” happen without the cooperation of service providers like Globe or Smart ?
i believe so … there are signal jamming equipment available. .. some are used by Hospitals and are installed in critical areas where these signals may interfere with sensitive medical equipment.
It’s also possible that their detention cells are ‘magnetized‘. Metallic window screens, doors, ceilings and walls are intentionally built to block cellphone’s radio signal.
Aha, wiretapping by the AFP! They have no right as a matter of fact! Ito ang krimen, not the “wiretapping” of the calls by the short criminal to Garci. O bakit hindi humihirit si Uncle Johnny?! Ano ba iyan! Saan na napunta ang sense of right and wrong ng matandang ito?
Truth is the person who tapped the calls was actually doing the Philippines a great service. It’s kind of getting to know of a secret by chance, making sure that all the conversations between the criminal and her contact plus her contact to all those he was conniving into the conspiracy, and reporting the matter to the authorities.
Unfortunately, in the case of the person or persons, who recorded the Garci-Pidal calls, there was no reliable authority they could go to with the police, military, the legislative and judicial branches of the government dominated by political appointees of the criminal ala-Mafia, and so the passing of the tapes to the “enemies” of the creep and her cohorts.
Nangyari, iyong nagsumbong pa ang napahamak! Hopefully, this time, handa na silang magpakamatay for truth and justice to prevail!!!
Oops, sorry the above should be in the other loop re the Garci tape and Doble, who should be given a medal for his courage and determination now to have the truth out!
Meanwhile, mabuhay ang mga matatapang na sundalo ng Pilipinas for defying a criminal. Their duty is to protect the country and people, not the criminal calling herself “President.” Nay ko po, hindi na nahiyang ibinabalandra ang sarili kung saan-saan!
Ellen,
The one person I blame for the debacle or the stand off in Fort Bonifacio last year is Miranda.
I hope this time he is more decided than he was at Fort Bonifacio last year.
Never mind the troops who were loyal to Gloria – they don’t count, they are the enemies. I’m speaking of Miranda and his dilly-dallying at the time of the stand off. Anyway, I don’t wish to blame him any more – he’s now one of the lot and must be supported.
I dont think the military would do that, jam their communication? Intelligence could not collect anything by that.
Valdemar,
“jam their communication?”
Esperon is so thick, he probably gave the orders – couldn’t think beyond the tip of his horrible nose… heheh!
The protestations of Capts Guinolbay and Langkit come close to a declaration of old: “if we are going to be hanged, we might as well be hanged as wolves than hanged as sheep.”
Neonate,
As wolves, do they mean this: If they are to be hanged, they might as well go down, die, fighting…?
anna, yup, by all means.
“cutting off their cellular phone signal”
Order na naman ni Asspweron! Walang kasawa-sawa sa kakaorder itong evil twin ni Gloria Impakta!
Next time, let’s cut Esperon’s organ. Tandaan natin lahat na kapag wala na ang Impakta sa Palasyo, huwag natin hahayaan na makakalusot itong Esperon sa kaniyang mga ginawang kasalanan.
Even this early, let’s keep a close watch on him making sure that he doesn’t leave the country. So when this GMA is gone, we can get hold of this Esperon to make him answer for all the sins he has committed against the Filipino people.
Maarte, we can find asspweron in Australia. Doon nakabili si asspweron ng mga properties baka nga lang nakapangalan lang sa mga “dummy” niya.
And do not worry, the whole AFP (except of course the Garci Generals) are watching him! Tignan natin ang tigas nitong ungas na ito kapag wala siya sa ilalim ng palda ni tiyanak! Baka pirapirasuhin siya ng mga sundalo, sa totoo lang!
Ana,
It’s interesting what you said (September 8th, 2007 at 3:13 am) about General Miranda “dilly-dallying at the time of the stand off.” Could you elaborate on that one ?
Could it be that the escalating oppression against these men is part of a plan to compel them to “make a move”? What if Esperon just wants to shoot them? He sets up a plan to keep tightening the screws until the men — or one of them — snap and do something that may be construed as threatening. Just look at it, normallly, things become more lax as time goes by. Thats just human nature. But instead eveything keeps getting worse and the pressure on the men and their families is mounting. Scary.
There are in fact stories and documents in the past wherein Generals and military officers were killed by their subordinates. Nangyari iyan sa maraming dako ng mundo kahit pa noon unang panahon na espada lang ang gamit. Soldiers don’t let these abuses continue. The problem is as indicated by some these Generals might already been out of the country once the number one thief steps down. Smart as they are, they have long prepared for such eventuality. Nandiyan na nasa abroad na ang kanilang mga pamilya. The children are all studying abroad. They have properties and bank accounts outside of the Philippines. Kapag naaamoy na babagsak na ang amo, sila ang unang lilipad. Aren’t there many former Generals now living abroad?
i deeply feel for the family members of these detained soldiers because i know how it is to be thinking every single day as to what is happening to your loved ones w/o having any means of communication w/ them.these military officers were forbidden to use their cellphones for what reason,they’re not even convicted yet.the way i see it,its just for personal reason and for own personal gain of those people whose hunger for power can’t be contained anymore that they will do anything just to stay in their position no matter what.
Hindi ba iyang pag-jam ng communication nila ang dahilan kung bakit nakatay ang mga sundalo sa Basilan? Pakisabi sa mga ungas, “please cut the crap!”
“After submitting ourselves to the process, I cannot see any reason why we are treated this way, added Miranda.”
this was the biggest mistake men of honor did in their fight for justice believing they will go through due process to prove their innoncence and bring the truth out. they had forgotten that since day one in power of the bogus administration there was nothing in mind of the cheat, liar and usurper press-ident but wipe out anyone who poses threat to her greed. it did not come into their minds that gloria’s band of goons will do everything to move mountains just to protect their mutual objective – to clip the law and put everything under their control.
should the events be repeated and in order to ensure that charged suspected nemesis of the insensitive leadership get fair treatment, the men of honor must first snatch gloria’s rabid protectors like bunye, esPWEron, the two gonzalezes, ermita, claudio, apostol and abalos, shoot them in the head and strap their dead bodies with explosives that will set off once touched by anyone who would dare retrieve them.
it must be committed to everyone’s memory that no amount of trust, respect and civility could transform the demons housed in malakanyang into civilized people. they will remain as they are – ravenous devils.
to contain them, one must play their game!
we do not need another birth of gloria and her minions to correct the harm they have done against our country and people.
Pechangco, when the junior officers get even with a more senior officer, usually due to abuses, I think thats called fragging. Dapat gawin yun kay Esperon. From what I hear on the grapevine, he is so arrogant, he acts as if there is no way mababalikan siya.
Agree ako sa iyo, klingon. That’s because the guy is well protected by the number one crook in Malacanang. Kaya nga dapat mapatalsik na ang amo niya ngayon para makaganti ang mga sundalo kay Esperon. I hope one good soldier shoots Esperon in the head !