The court martial hearing the case of remaining nine officers accused of committing mutiny against Gloria Arroyo in February 2006 denied “for lack of merit” the motion to dismiss by retired Marine Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, and Col. Ariel Querubin.
Not acquitted
The court however acquitted Scout Rangers Maj. Jason Aquino, former Capt. Dante Langkit, Captains Montano Almodovar, Isagani Criste, Joey Fontiveros, and James Sababan.
Statement of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV:
I would like to express my profound gratitude to President Noynoy Aquino for yesterday’s amnesty proclamation. This act of magnanimity is also clear indication of his sincere desire to attain unity and peace for our country.
I thank, as well, all those who moved and prayed for this amnesty to happen.
To all of you, I am forever indebted.
President Aquino yesterday signed a proclamation granting amnesty to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and other soldiers who dared stand up to corruption and abuse of power by Gloria Arroyo, who was never elected to the position of power she held for nine years.
Trillanes remains in detention at Camp Crame and is prevented from serving fully the people who elected him to the Senate in 2007.
Some three hundred officers and enlisted men stand to benefit from the long-awaited proclamation. It covers those who were involved in the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny, the 2006 alleged plan to withdraw support from Arroyo following the “Hello Garci” expose, the Bonifacio Marine standoff in February 2006 and the Manila Peninsula siege in November 2007.
Y0u have to admire these principled officers for keeping the faith, for looking at the glass as half-full, rather than half-empty, as they take calmly the latest setback in their mutiny case that had its origin in their resistance to the use by Gloria Arroyo of the military to thwart the will of the people in the 2004 elections.
Tuesday, the military court headed by Maj. Gen. Josue S. Gaverza Jr. released its much delayed decision on the motion of the accused to dismiss the case as the prosecution has not proven that the accused officers committed mutiny in February 2006.
by Victor Reyes
Malaya
A jmilitary tribunal yesterday cleared seven military officers of the charge of mutiny filed against them in connection with the alleged plot to overthrow the Arroyo administration in February 2006 but sustained the charge against nine other accused.
Cleared were Col. Orlando de Leon, Lt. Col. Marine Achilles Segumalian, Lt. Col. Custodo Parcon, and 1Lt. Belinda Ferrer of the Marines, and Maj. Leomar Jose Doctolero, Capt. William Victorino Upano, and 1Lt. Homer Estolas of the Army.
The seven, in a second motion for reconsideration for a finding of not guilty, said they did not violate Article of War 67 or mutiny.
The court presided by Maj. Gen. Josue Gaverza said it granted the motion “for being meritorious.”
It denied the motion of the nine others for “lack of merit.”
By Tessa Jamandre
VERA Files
A military court will decide today on the plea—twice denied under the government of former President Gloria Arroyo—to exonerate 16 military officers facing mutiny charges for a supposed plot against her in 2006.
Update:
The court yesterday set another hearing on Sept. 24 for promulgation of this case. The hearing yesterday started with the court looking for the motions for reconsideration filed by the defense lawyers. Either the prosecution didn’t have them in their file or the panel didn’t get their copies. When the MRs were all found, the court asked the prosecution to make a comment within ten days from Sept. 9. Then they will issue the promulgation on Sept. 24.
This is the first time that the court martial proceedings will resume under the new commander-in-chief, Benigno Aquino III.
After two postponements, the court is finally expected to rule on the defense panel’s motion for reconsideration. The hearing was originally set for Aug. 27, then moved to Sept. 3. The last hearing was on May 21.
The motion asks the court to absolve the 16 officers of the charge of mutiny, which the court denied on Oct. 27, 2009. The accused appealed the decision, but their motion for reconsideration was denied just the same on March 2, 2010.
By Tessa Jamandre VERA Files TANAY, Rizal.—Some of the Armed Forces’ most promising officers spent years in detention here, inside a high-fenced, heavily guarded facility…
Update: Col. Querubin was released this afternoon. An AFP statement quoted AFP Chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo David as saying “ Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Ordoñez will…
There is a chance that we might yet see the full Mayuga Report, which former Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga pledged he would “ bring to his grave”.
President Aquino said that before his inauguration, someone sent him a ten-page report of the Mayuga Commission which investigated the involvement of military officials in the rigging of the 2004 elections in favor of Gloria Arroyo.
The military, then under AFP Chief Efren Abu initiated the investigation after the “Hello Garci” tapes surfaced and names of military officials were mentioned as having participated in the tampering of election results in the precincts in the Autonomous Region for Muslim to make Arroyo overcome the lead of Fernando Poe Jr.
It’s good that Brig. Gen. Danny Lim is able to celebrate his 55th birthday today out of detention.
I’m told that in the courtesy call of former Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danny Lim to Armed Forces Chief Delfin Bangit immediately upon his release from Camp Crame custodial center early Monday evening, they discussed the situation of the 15 other officers still in detention.
Among the remaining 15 officers are eight Scout Rangers, who are still detained in Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal and one member of the Army’s Special Forces, Capt. Dante Langkit.
The eight Scout Rangers are Maj. Jason Laureano Aquino, Maj. Jose Leomar Doctolero, Capt. James Sababan, Capt. Montano Almodovar, Capt. Joey Fontiveros, Capt. Isagani Criste, Capt. William Upano, and 1Lt. Homer Estolas.
While I am glad that Brig. Gen Lim is out and would be able to celebrate his birthday in his home on Wednesday, I’m sad that 15 other officers who are accused with him in the February 2006 non-event are still in detention. Of the 15, eight are Scout Rangers junior officers and one, a member of the Army Special Forces.
I’ll write more about this on Wednesday. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV is the only one left in Camp Crame. True to his word to his fellow Magdalo officers and men that “I will be the last man out of here.”
Anyway, here’s the report by Malaya reporters Victor Reyes, Raymond Africa and Ashzel Hachero:
Former Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo was released from detention yesterday and turned over to the custody of Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Ordoñez, chief of the military’s Philippine Defense Reform office.