By VERA Files The parents of slain botanist Leonardo Co have asked the Department of Justice to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death and that…
Making life worth living.
Category: Military
Leonardo L. Co, 56, one of the country’s top botanist ,who was serving as biodiversity consultant of Lopez-owned Energy Development Corp. (EDC), was killed together with his two companions Nov 15 while gathering specimen seedlings of endangered trees with a five-member team of civilians in Kananga, Leyte.
Manuel Paete, EDC resident manager identified identified the other fatalities as Sofronio G. Cortez, a forest guard day of EDC-Environmental Management Division, and Julius Borromeo, a member of the Tongonan Farmers Association (Tofa).
Co is a specialist in plant taxonomy and ethnobotany.
Early reports said Co’s team was caught in a cross fire. Later reports said there was no cross fire and that they were mistaken as NPA’s
Slain botanist heard begging for mercy: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20101119-304043/Slain-botanist-heard-begging-for-mercy
His remains lie at the Funeraria Paz on Araneta Avenue. It will be brought to UP this afternoon for the wake until Sunday.
Following is Business Mirror’s editorial last Nov. 17 which encapsulates our sentiments:
Thanks, Professor Co
It’s hard to find words to capture the sense of loss of the Philippine science community, not only for themselves but for the future of this country, at the untimely, tragic demise of University of the Philippines botany professor Leonardo Co, in an unfortunate crossfire between soldiers and rebels in Leyte this week. Indeed, as some reports go, the military unit that might have (the shooting-by-friendly-fire angle is still being investigated) snuffed out his life was filled with deep remorse on knowing the encounter had claimed an innocent life—and what a life it was.
Kaya naman pala inis na inis si Pangulong Aquino sa travel advisories ng limang bansa na iwasan ang Pilipinas dahil sa banta daw ng mga terorista. Umiiyak na raw ang mga Philippine tour operators sa mga kanselasyon ng package tours galing Hongkong at China, tapos dadagdagan pa nitong travel advisories, talaga ngang nakakabahala.
Kaya lang sa halip na mainis sa ibang bansa na nagpu-protekta lang ng kanilang mamamayan, dapat ayusin natin ang pamalakad dito sa atin at iyan ay dapat manggagaling kay Aquino. Ang problema lang hindi nakakabigay ng kumpyansa ang kanyang mga aksyun at sinasabi.
(Click here for the interview of Aquino by Ted Failon on terror threat: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/11/04/10/terror-report-raw-unverified-noynoy-1-1-ted#ooid=hvMXhzMTrHxTB7iLpEMl4REPPznJGFEb)
Ang bansang United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand at France ay nagpalabas ng babala sa kanilang mga mamamayan na iwasan ang ilang bansa na may impormasyon silang baka umatake ang mga terorista. Isa sa kanilang listahan ay ang Pilipinas.
Breaking news: Makati RTC postpones promulgation of Magdalo coupd’etat case.
Sa mga nagpasabi sa may-akda na sana may tagalog na bersyun ang “Pulutan” na cookbook ng dalawang Magdalo na opisyal, wish granted na. Nagpalabas na ang Anvil Publishing ng “Pulutan-Mula sa kusina ng mga sundalo.”
Pwede nang bilhin sa lahat na sangay ng National Book Stores.
Tuwang-tuwa sina dating Ensign Elmer Cruz at Emerson Rosales sa pagtangkilik sa English na bersyon ng kanilang cookbook na inilabas noong Hulyo 2007 nang sila ay nakakulong pa sa Fort San Felipe sa Cavite.
Apat na taon ding nakulong sina Elmer at Emerson dahil sa kanilang partisipasyon sa tinatawag na Oakwood mutiny kung saan nanindigan sila laban sa korapsyun at panloloko ni Gloria Arroyo noong Hulyo 26, 2003.
The temerity of Juan Pedro Navera,senior state prosecutor, to complain about the decision of President Aquino to grant amnesty to some 300 military officers and soldiers that stood up against Gloria Arroyo show that Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is presiding over an organization, many of whose personnel have still a mindset of impunity that characterized the Arroyo administration.
This is a serious challenge to President Aquino’s reform agenda especially in the area of anti-corruption. This is as problematic as the issue with an Arroyo loyalists-dominated Supreme Court.
A newspaper report quoted Navera as saying that his seven years of hard work to convict the Magdalo officers and soldiers have come to nought with the issuance of the President of Proclamation 50 giving amnesty to military officers who were allegedly involved the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny, the reported plan to withdraw support from Arroyo following the “Hello Garci” expose in February 2006 and the Manila Peninsula seige.
Ang tapang naman ng apog nitong si Senior State Prosecutor, Juan Pedro Navera magreklamo sa desisyun ni Pangulong Aquino na magbigay ng amnestiya sa mga sundalong nanindigan sa illegal na administrasyon ni Gloria Arroyo.
Kasama sa nabigyan ng amnestiya si Senador Antonio Trillanes IV na hanggang ngayon ay nakakulong pa. Mga 300 na opisyal at enlisted men ang sakop ng amnestiya kasama na rin sina Maj.Gen. Renato Miranda, Brig.Gen. Danilo Lim, at Col. Ariel Querubin.
Ang amnestiya ay magpawalang halaga kung sakaling magdesisyun sa Oktubre 28 si Judge Oscar Pimentel na “guilty” sina Trillanes at mga lider ng Magdalo ng “kudeta” sa nangyari noong Hulyo 27, 2003 sa Oakwood Hotel sa Makati kung saan binulgar nila corruption sa military kasama na ang pagbenta ng mga armas at bala sa kalaban na siyang ginagamit para patayin sila.
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.
President Aquino grants amnesty to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and all the other soldiers charged for standing up to Gloria Arroyo.
Concurrence of both houses of Congress is expected to follow in the coming days. Some 160 members of the House of Representatives and 17 senators have earlier signed separate resolutions urging the President to grant amnesty to the rebel soldiers. They are expected to concur with the proclamation.
The proclamation also approves the re-integration of the service of enlisted men. Officers are not covered by the re-integration.
Proclamation No. 50:
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.”