One does not have to be a lawyer to understand that if there’s is no offense, there is no trial.
As Frank Chavez, counsel for Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, puts it simply to the panel presiding in the court martial of the 28 officers who allegedly planned to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006, “That’s common sense, Your Honor.”
By Joel Guinto
Inquirer
Court martial proceedings for the 28 officers accused of an alleged February 2006 coup plot on Friday were deadlocked on whether or not the lesser charges against the group have prescribed and should be dropped.
Mukhang maayos itong si Leila de Lima, ang bagong chair ng Commission on Human Rights. Sana mabigyan ng katapat na aksyon ang kanyang mga sinasabi.
He would have wanted to hold her hand “for moral support” as she was being wheeled to the operating room.
Another case of “give- and- take” policy of this illegitimate administration.
Just now, I was told that Gen. Miranda was ordered back to ISAFP detention quarters by Gen. Espino, the camp commander after just a few hours with his wife in the hospital. Heartless. What are they afraid of?
Will give update on this tomorrow.
Also for tomorow’s hearing of the human rights committee at the House of Representatives, the detained officers were not allowed to attend.
Ex-Marines chief allowed out of jail to visit ailing wife
By Joel Guinto
Inquirer.net
Former Ex-Marines chief Major General Renato Miranda, who is facing court martial for an alleged coup plot in February 2006, was allowed to leave detention Monday to visit his wife, who is stricken with breast cancer, a spokesman for the Philippine Navy said.
One good thing going for the new Armed Forces chief, Alexander Yano, is that he succeeds Gen. Hermogenes Esperon.
No one could do worse to the military establishment that what Esperon had done – bringing to the pits the reputation of the military establishment with his alleged participation in the 2004 elections fraud and for bullying those who chose to hold on to their principles of truth and justice.
The optimism that greeted Yano’s assumption of the highest military position is amazing. It should warm his heart. But it’s also an awesome challenge considering the damage that Esperon had done not only to the morale of the personnel but also to the personal lives of many of the officers and enlisted men.
Photos taken after the hearing Tuesday. The court martial panel instructed the prosecution to review the cases again and see if they could recommend to the new chief of staff “nolle prosequi” or will not pursue further the cases.
Everybody was in high spirits expecting fairer treatment under the new chief of staff. Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano.
by Victor Reyes
Key leaders of the alleged power grab attempt in February 2006 yesterday said they are not going to ask for pardon from President Arroyo.
From Tribune:
After 27 hearings, the military court has finally arraigned yesterday 28 officers for mutiny in connection with the alleged February 2006 plot to withdraw support from President Arroyo and the Marines stand-off. But neither a guilty nor a not guilty plea was entered by any of the accused, with their defense counsels entered a special plea contesting the charge against them.
As he prepares for his much-delayed exit from active service, outgoing AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon is frantically trying to negotiate with the officers he has persecuted that they won’t do to him what he did to them.
Esperon’s message was delivered by Maj. Dennis Eclarin to the junior Scout Ranger officers detained in Camp Capinpin two weeks ago.
A member of the Army’s elite Scout Rangers, Eclarin ( West Point ’93), widely- written for his microfinancing initiative, told the detainees that the outgoing chief- of- staff is offering them (junior officers) liberty in exchange for a commitment that they won’t retaliate against him.
Eclarin, who is known to be close Esperon, told the detained officers that in his conversations with the chief of staff, it was discussed that it’s wrong to look at the case of the 28 officers as one, single offense. “Why don’t you look at each case individually,” he reportedly suggested to Esperon. He added that retired Gen. Jose Almonte, national security adviser during the Ramos administration, shares his view.
(I was not able to get photos in today’s hearing. I just asked for these photos from a relative of one of the detainees. Both photos were taken after the hearing. The first photo shows the Tanay-bound officers. In the second photo are officers detained at the ISAFP facility in Camp Aguinaldo.)
by Victor Reyes
Malaya
Officers linked to the alleged power grab attempt in February 2006 yesterday gave Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who is due to retire from the
service in two weeks, a failing grade as the military chief for close to two years.
“No one has brought more shame to the institution,” former Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim said of Esperon in a handwritten statement issued at the sidelines of a court martial hearing against the accused officers inside Camp Aguinaldo.