Category: Military

Military court to decide fate of 16 officers in mutiny charge

Published by Ellen on September 8, 2010

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.

Unsilenced

Published by Ellen on August 31, 2010

Visiting Italian Lawyer Gabriella Citroni, in a forum marking the International Day of the Disappeared (which was actually last Monday) at the University of the Philippines, said a person disappearing does not follow logic.

“People are born, they live and they die. They don’t disappear,” she said. But it happens. In the Philippines the practice is more known as “salvaging” a cruel play on the word that means “saving”.

Citroni, a professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca, has been active in the United Nations effort to ratify and eventually implement the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.

Sen. Miriam Santiago files a bill making enforced disappearances a crime.

Citroni said Enforced Disappearances start with deprivation of liberty, followed by concealment or denial of the victim.

In searching for the disappeared kin, relatives often are met with questions by law enforcement authorities, “Who is he? Is there such a person?”

“Can you think of a much worse human brutality than someone telling you that your loved one never existed”, she asked.

Trillanes holds committee hearing in detention

Published by Ellen on August 23, 2010

Last Thursday, Sen. Antonio Trillanes, who is chair of the Committee on Civil Service and Constitutional Reforms, conducted a hearing in his detention quaters. Senators…

Remembering Capt Rene Jarque

Published by Ellen on August 22, 2010

Last Thursday, Aug. 19, was the fifth death anniversary of Capt. Rene Jarque, an officer I have always held in awe for his superior intellect and unblemished integrity.

Rene died of a heart attack at the young age of 40 in Jakarta, where he was an executive of a multinational corporation. A graduate of the United States Military Academy (Class 1986), Rene served the country with courage and honor as a member of the elite Scout Rangers of the Philippine Army.

A reformist at heart and in deed, Rene left military service in frustration. He wrote, “ As a young officer, I used the power of the pen to question things that were not right in the Armed Forces of the Philippines–incompetence, corruption, lack of strategic direction, and unprofessionalism. My writings were a voice in the wilderness, but the criticisms earned me a reputation as a rebel officer–too honest and too frank for my own good. I really thought reforms could be achieved through intellectual honesty and awareness. “

Rene further said, “I realized that the prevailing environment in the AFP was no longer acceptable to my sense of duty and honor, that there was more to life than being a soldier in serving the country and people. To fulfill that, I needed to live outside of the uniform.”

He is the son of Gen (ret) Raymundo Jarque, known for having joined the New People’s Army, when justice was perverted against him. The elder Jarque has long left the underground movement and is now working with a government corporation.

The incredible and talented Boy Gee

Published by Ellen on August 19, 2010

There were two significant things that Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue mentioned in his marathon griping with media the past few days.

One is the continued thriving career of Maj. Gen. Gaudencio “Boy Gee” Pangilinan, one of Gloria Arroyo’s dependable generals, under Aquino’s supposedly reformist administration.

Angue identified Pangilinan as one of the Class ’79 officers close to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. He said Pangilinan served as intelligence officer and comptroller of Gazmin when the latter was still in the active military service.

Proof of Pangilinan’s clout with Gazmin is his inclusion in the first batch of officers who moved up under this new administration. Last month, he was named commander of Northern Luzon Command vice Lt. Gen. Ricardo David who was named AFP chief of staff.

The Nolcom chief position requires a three-star general. Pangilinan is a two-star general. His third star is still awaiting the signature of President Aquino.

Paboritong heneral ni Arroyo, appointed ulit ni P-Noy

Published by Ellen on August 17, 2010

Ang galing nitong mga heneral na busog na busog kay Gloria Arroyo. Hanggang ngayon patuloy pa rin sila sa hapag-kainan ng bagong administrasyon.

Isa na si Maj. Gen. Jonathan Martir na nakakuha ng appointment kay Pangulong Aquino bilang director IV. Isa siya sa unang hinirang ni Aquino noong Hulyo 15. Ang swerte talaga ni Martir.

Sabin ng isang defense reporter, re-appointment lang daw yun kasi linagay siya doon ni Arroyo pagkatapos siya nag-retire. Tagapag-mahala daw siya ng military arsenal.

Bakit siya na re-appoint?

Gagged admiral refuses to stay gagged

Published by Ellen on August 15, 2010

Rear Admiral Angue has mentioned the name of MGen Gaudencio S. Pangilinan Jr as one of those who engaged in politicking in the 2010 elections and is a beneficiary of favors under this new administration. Pangilinan also served Gloria Arroyo very, very well.

Angue, decrying new assignment as a demotion, goes to media

by Victor Reyes

Rear Adm. Feliciano Angue, who has alleged that senior AFP officers engaged in politicking in the last elections, yesterday decried his demotion to commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao from commander of the National Capital Region Command.

Angue named two senior officers who he said benefited from the manipulated promotion system of the Armed Forces, in continued defiance of an order for him to air his sentiments before the proper venue and not through media.

Angue, outgoing commander of the National Capital Region Command, said Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) chief Maj. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan and Intelligence Service of the AFP (Isafp) chief Brig. Gen. Romulo Bambao have questionable credentials.

Click here:http://www.malaya.com.ph/08182010/news1.html

“In my 32 years as an officer of the Armed Forces, this is the first time that I would be a witness to the humiliation of demotion of a flag rank or a general officer. Demotion is a severe punishment given only to erring enlisted personnel who have committed grave offenses. Why do this to me and what wrong have I done?” Angue said in a speech following the flag-raising ceremony at the NCRcom headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.

Justice for Phillip Pestaño

Published by Ellen on August 3, 2010

This was one time when I remarked,”Multuhin ka sana.”

Even if one wants to give Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez the benefit of the doubt, it’s really difficult not to join the call for her ouster with the recent decision of her office to dismiss the murder charges filed by the family of Ensign Phillip Pestaño against Philippine Navy officials.

It didn’t even take into consideration the findings of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights released six days before it finalized its own that said, “It now appears undisputed that the death of the author’s son was a violent one, resulting from homicide.”

Homicide is murder. It’s not suicide as Navy officials claim.

The Ombudsman’s ruling reflects indifference and incompetence. Trabahong tamad. It said that there was no evidence who had killed Pestaño, or if a crime had been committed at all.

They were not sure that a crime had been committed?

This is the story of Phillip as narrated by Fr. James Reuter, S.J:

WikiLeaks on Afghan War stirs journalism debate

Published by Ellen on July 30, 2010

It brings back the unending journalist dilemma of the right of the public to information versus national security.

By Ron Synovitz
Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty

As the Pentagon investigates the potential damage from the leak of more than 91,000 classified U.S. military reports on the war in Afghanistan, the leak is fueling debate about the role of whistle-blowers as journalistic sources in the age of digital data.

WikiLeaks, a website that tries to foster policy debates by making classified information available to the public, received the cache of documents from sources it will not disclose. Wikileaks then passed the materials on to three media organizations — “The New York Times,” “The Guardian” newspaper in the United Kingdom, and “Der Spiegel” magazine in Germany.

Officials in Washington say they are concerned the leaks pose a national security threat and may endanger people in Afghanistan or Pakistan who have worked against the Taliban or Al Qaeda.

Tanay prison mute witness to soldiers’ family milestones

Published by Ellen on July 30, 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…