Feb ’06 – Page 8 – ellen tordesillas

What could spark military outrage

Published by Ellen on February 24, 2008

Immediately after last Friday’s 8-hour court martial hearing of the mutiny case against Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and 27 other officers allegedly involved in the plan to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006, the members of the panel met with AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon.

Esperon, the source said, was upset that no arraignment of the 28 officers took place. A member of the panel, the source said, told the AFP chief that much as they want to follow his timetable, it’s difficult for them to railroad the process. That would open them later to charges of violations of the law. They risk being subjected to court martial themselves for rendering unlawful judgment.

Please bring us back to the barracks

Published by Ellen on February 24, 2008

On the 22nd anniversary of People Power One and on the second anniversary of their incarceration for allegedly planning to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo, the 28 officers led by Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, issued the following statement:

We are soldiers. We are also citizens. We, together with our families, are so much a part of the community more than our beloved organization. We are not faceless automatons incapable of thinking, feeling and discernment. We feel the pain of our neighbors as much as their anger. We see their oppression and sense their hopelessness. Of course, their happiness is ours too. But they are not!

Opportunity for Heroism

Published by Ellen on February 22, 2008

No arraignment took place yesterday in the court martial hearing of the 28 officers accused of withdrawing support from Gloria Arroyo two years ago.

The court, though, denied the motion of Atty. Homobono Adaza for a suspension of the hearings for 45 days as a cooling off period. He said there’s no point “for both parties to be shouting at each other now,” when considering the current political situation, the case might be “moot and academic” in a few weeks time.

The court also didn’t agree with the defense that they have to wait for five days after service of the corrected amended charge sheet which was yesterday before they can go to arraignment.The five- day wait, the court said, applies only to the original charge sheet.

Continue readingOpportunity for Heroism

Green Cross at Gold Cross

Published by Ellen on February 20, 2008

Sa gitna ng pagsubok, hindi nakakalimutan ng Pilipino ang tumawa.

Noong Martes, ang court martial hearing ng 28 na opisyal na sangkot raw sa withdrawal of support kay Gloria Arroyo noong February 2006 sa pangunguna ni Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda at Brig. Gen. Danny Lim ay medyo tensyunado dahil alam ng lahat na may order si AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon na i-arraign o isakdal na sila ng pormal ngayong linggo.

Magdalawang taon na kasi at kung hindi pa sila maisakdal sa Martes, Feb. 26, i-dismis na ang isang akusasyon, ang “Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer and a Gentleman” na ang parusa ay dismissal sa serbisyo.

The Truth

Published by Ellen on February 20, 2008

Take note of the yellow steel bars that confine the accused officers to a certain area of the courtroom.

As they mark next week two years in detention, the 28 officers facing trial for allegedly planning to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006, issued this statement on Truth.

In a statement that undermines the independence of the court martial trying the case,AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon has made public statements that “they will be arraigned.” Court martial hearing resumes tomorrow.

It is often said that “the truth will set you free.” But this would be understood in the philosophical and moral context, because the truth, in many cases will send a person to prison. Mr. Lozada does not appear to be a saint, but the truth may have set him “free,” as perhaps, it was a means for him to attain peace with his own God and to reconcile himself with his concept of what is just and good. However, for Mrs. Arroyo, some members of her family, and their cohorts, including Mr. Esperon, the truth will send them to prison.

Prayers and lessons in English in court martial

Published by Ellen on February 17, 2008

It is clear to those who have closely followed the court martial of 28 officers allegedly involved in the February 2006 alleged withdrawal of support from Gloria Arroyo that the panel headed by Maj. Gen. Jogy Fojas is following the prosecution’s script that Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and his fellow accused officers be arraigned, by hook or by crook, before Feb. 26, 2008.

That’s because if the accused are not arraigned by Tuesday next week, two years from the commission of the alleged offense, the charge of “Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer and Gentleman” (violation of Articles of War 96) would prescribe and the case would be automatically dropped.

The remaining major charge would be mutiny which was recommended to be dismissed by the team from the Judge Advocate Office the investigated the February 26 incident “for lack of factual and legal bases.”

Break the chain of lies and deceit

Published by Ellen on February 15, 2008

This is the message from Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and 26 other officers (Brig. Gen. Danny Lim is detained in Camp Crame together with Magdalo officers) in detention, now at ISAFP in Camp Aguinaldo, for the February 2006 alleged plan to witndraw support from Gloria Arroyo:

We express our support for truth and justice. As members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who have sworn to defend the Constitution and protect the Filipino people, we refuse to be cowed into silence and submission by a leadership anchored on thievery and deceit.

Continue readingBreak the chain of lies and deceit

Spy camera found inside AFP court room

Published by Ellen on February 13, 2008

by Victor Reyes

A supposed surveillance TV camera was found to have been installed in a room in Camp Aguinaldo where a military general court martial is trying 28 Marines and Army officers implicated in the alleged power grab attempt in February 2006.

The court’s president, Maj. Gen. Jogy Leo Fojas, had the camera dismantled shortly after Vicente Caoile, lawyer of accused Marine Col. Armando Bañez, informed the court of the camera pointed at the table of the defense panel.

Caoile said the camera, positioned at the top of a window and hidden behind a Christmas decor, could prejudice the defense strategy. He also noted that before the camera , about as big as a clenched fist,was silver. Yesterday it had been painted green obviously as a camouflage.

Tanay ‘boys’ taken to ISAFP in Aguinaldo by force

Published by Ellen on February 7, 2008

Officers face new raps for resisting transfer

by Victor Reyes

Military officers accused of attempting to overthrow government two years ago were transferred yesterday to the Intelligence Service of the AFP in Camp Aguinaldo from the detention facility in Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal.

The transfer of 24 of the 28 accused was ordered by AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon to facilitate court martial proceedings which had been held in Camp Capinpin since December 2005. The military announced about two weeks ago that the proceedings will be transferred to Camp Aguinaldo.

A commotion erupted in Camp Capinpin as the accused were being prepared for transfer, according to Ma. Flor Querubin, wife of accused Col. Ariel Querubin.

Concerned voices from Tanay

Published by Ellen on February 5, 2008

The following statement was issued by lawyers of officers detained in Camp Capinpin,Tanay,Rizal implicated in the alleged February 2006 plan to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo. The 28 detained officers include Maj.Gen.Renato Miranda, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim (detained in Camp Crame with Sen. Antonio Trillanes Iv and other Magdalo officers), Col. Ariel Querubin, Col. Custodio Parcon :

Another suspicious order concerning the Tanay detainees led by Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, has been issued and is danger of being implemented to the detriment of the said detainees.
Such is yet another oppressive act committed against the same men who have submitted themselves to the legal processes of a military establishment that seems intent on depriving them of their rights.

At the last hearing, both the defense counsels and the prosecution were directed by the court martial panel to make proposals (defense counsels) and counter-proposals (prosecution) on ways to efficiently conduct the proceedings. The meeting between prosecution and defense was conducted yesterday in Camp Aguinaldo. The proposals were as follows:

Continue readingConcerned voices from Tanay

Category: Feb ’06