Defense

[Stoner]

---

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/...50512top1.html

Mutineers get off lightly

A military court on Wednesday sentenced the 184 enlisted men who participated in the failed Oakwood mutiny in July 2003 to a three-rank demotion and pay cuts.

The soldiers got off on what is considered light punishment by pleading guilty to violating three Articles of War. In exchange, they escaped being convicted of mutiny, which is punishable by death.

In a plea-bargaining agreement, the soldiers pleaded guilty to violating Article of War 63 (disrespect toward the President); Article of War 64 (disrespect toward a superior officer); and Article of War 97 (conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline).

The prosecution agreed to drop the charge of mutiny (Article of War 67) against the soldiers.

Col. Jose Recuenco, the head of the military tribunal, sentenced the soldiers to one year in prison with hard labor, a three-rank demotion and forfeiture of two-thirds of their basic pay ranging from three to six months.

The court granted the appeal of Ruel Pulido, the defense counsel, for the soldiers to forgo imprisonment, having been in detention for more than a year.

Recuenco said the court would recommend to the Armed Forces chief of staff, Gen. Efren Abu, the immediate release of all the soldiers.

“I think we have meted out justice to the government as well as to the accused in our military justice system,� Recuenco told reporters after the hearing.

He said the ruling will have no effect on the trial of the 96 officers who led the takeover of the Oakwood Premier service apartments in Makati City.

Prominent among the officers are Army Captains Gerardo Gambala and Milo Maestrecampo, Navy Captains Gary Alejano and Nicanor Faeldon and Navy Lieutenants Second Grade Antonio Trillanes and James Layug.

They are being tried separately in a court-martial and by a civilian court on the charge of leading a coup, which carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.

Pulido said the officers were aware of the impending guilty plea of their subordinates.

“What their [officers’] instructions were for us to do what is best to the interest of the enlisted personnel even if it means sacrificing themselves,� he said.

[M@rv|n]

may nalang

[SPRINGFIELD_XD_40]

At least they were not dishonorably discharged .

[vern]

Mutiny and they remained in the armed forces? Bah! Off with their heads! :mrgreen:

[tootskie]

the foot soldiers should at least be granted a reprieve but the officers?



don't let them off the hook lightly....unsa man tan aw nila sa ilang sarili,praetorian guards?

[darkwing]

mutiny = punishable by death

[Stoner]

2 Abu Sayyaf commanders,
5 others killed in Sulu clash

Marines killed at least seven Muslim extremist gunmen in a gunbattle in Sulu Saturday, a military spokesman said.

Two soldiers were injured in the clash with the Abu Sayyaf rebels in sitio Latih, Patikul town, said the Marines’ spokesman, Capt. Rommel Abrau.

Among those killed were two Abu Sayyaf subcommanders, Kumander Mihadon and Abri Isa, who were allegedly involved in the kidnapping of 21 tourists and workers from the Malaysian resort of Sipadan in 2000, Abrau said. The Western tourists and resort workers were taken to Abu Sayyaf strongholds in Jolo.

The following year, the Abu Sayyaf seized the US missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, an American tourist, Guillermo Sobero, and 17 Filipino workers and tourists from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan.

Sobero and two Filipino workers were beheaded and the others were ransomed off, released or escaped. Gracia Burnham was wounded in a commando rescue in June 2002, but her husband and a Filipino nurse were killed.

Manila has credited the US counterterrorism training of Filipino soldiers with the successful offensives against the Abu Sayyaf.

The al-Qaeda-linked group, which is on the US and European terrorist lists, has been blamed for numerous kidnappings, beheadings and bombings, including a blast on a ferry in Manila Bay in 2003 that killed 116 people.

Abrau said the fighting in Patikul, which started at around 6:30 a.m. lasted 30 minutes.

In Calbayog City a New People’s Army rebel was killed and three others were captured when Army troops stormed an NPA hideout on Wednesday, belated military reports said Saturday.

The rebel was identified as Allan Diego, and those captured as Larry Garcia, 25, Edgar Diomangay Mon and a 16-year-old boy whose name was withheld for being a minor.

Wounded were Maria Luna Baldomaro and Cpl. Arnel Loneza.

Reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo said soldiers from the 63rd Infantry Battalion, led by Second Lt. Richard Kadil, raided a suspected NPA hideout in Barangay Guinbaoyan, Oquendo district, Calbayog, at around 10 p.m. Wednesday.

The Communist Party of the PhiÂ*lippines on Saturday vowed it would make the 8th ID chief, Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, pay for the series of alleged extrajudicial killings of activists and other atrocities in Eastern Visayas.

The latest killing was the murder Wednesday night of KatuÂ*ngod-Sinirangan Bisayas (KatuÂ*ngod-SB) chair Rev. Edison Lapuz and Alfredo Malinao, head of the Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uruma sa San Isidro (Kamas).

Katungod-SB is the local chapter of the national human-rights watchdog Karapatan. Kamas is affiliated with the Katipunan ng mga Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.

In a statement CPP spokesman Gregorio “Ka Roger� Rosal said: “The revolutionary forces will make sure that Palparan pays for every drop of blood of every victim of his dirty war.�

The NPA also blames Palparan for the killing of Karapatan-Southern Tagalog chair Eden Marcellana and Kasama-TK leader Eddie Gumanoy in April 2003. The two were abducted, tortured and gunned down by hooded men believed to be soldiers from the 204th IB, then headed by Palparan.
--Jefferson Antiporda, AP

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/...50515top2.html

[Stoner]

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/...4/yehey/metro/

Magdaló soldiers renew
allegiance to government

By Jefferson Antiporda, Reporter

The 181 Oakwood mutineers freed from detention last week have renewed their allegiance to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Arroyo administration during the flag ceremony Monday in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

The soldiers—mostly enlisted personnel from elite units of the Army, Marines and Navy—swore to obey the law and the “reasonable and humane mandate� that are legally enforced by the government without any reservation or intention to defy.

“To our President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, we would like to manifest our heartfelt support to her leadership and programs for peace and unity among all Filipinos,� said Navy SWAG Chief Petty Officer Leonito Fernin, the most senior of the 181 enlisted personnel.

Fernin delivered a short speech during the ceremony.

The soldiers were released Friday after the military leadership approved the recommendations of the military court that considered their time spent in detention.

The military tribunal had sentenced the soldiers to a year in jail. They’ve effectively served the sentence since they’ve been under detention for over a year while the case was pending.

Besides the jail term, the soldiers were also sentenced to a three-rank demotion and forfeiture of two-thirds of their salary.

They had pleaded guilty to the charge of violation of certain Articles of War, except mutiny.

“We would like to thank also all the Filipinos for giving us the second chance to be of service to you. I hope you will help us [181 soldiers] rise and move on, and forget what happened at Oakwood,� Fernin said.

In their oath, the soldiers promised to religiously assume their responsibilities and perform their tasks as soldiers to the best of their abilities.

They also pledged to uphold and protect the Constitution and abide by it.

The soldiers were briefed about the two-week predeployÂ*ment training that they need to take before they are reassigned to their mother units.

Earlier, Ruel Pulido, defense counsel of the soldiers, said several officers who led the July 27, 2003, Oakwood siege, expressed their intent to enter into a plea-bargaining agreement with the prosecution panel.

The panel said it will study the move once it has received a formal offer.

[Stoner]

Abu, Adan, Palparan blocked at CA


Three top military officials failed to get the confirmation on their promotions at yesterday’s Commission of Appointments (CA) hearing after oppositors blocked their promotions to the next ranks.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Efren L. Abu, Maj.-Gen. Edilberto P. Adan, and Brig.-Gen. Jovito S. Palparan, Jr. were supposed to be promoted to full general, lieutenant general and major general, respectively.

While the confirmation of 40 other AFP officials were a breeze, with minimal and obscure oppositions, the confirmation of the three were set for another date after groups blocked their confirmations.

Mr. Palparan, who was last to be heard yesterday, faced strong opposition from party-list representatives over his alleged rampant human rights violations.

Bayan Muna party-list Representatives Satur C. Ocampo and Crispin Beltran and Akbayan party-list Rep. Loretta Anne P. Rosales said Mr. Palparan was notorious for leaving a long trail of human rights violations in Mindoro, where he was once the commanding officer of the 204th Brigade, and now in Eastern Visayas where he is currently the commander of the 8th Infantry Division.

"Confirming Gen. Palparan’s promotion would put a premium on such gross violations and reinforce the widespread civilian perception of his untouchability and make a mockery of public office as a public trust," Mr. Beltran said.

Marie Hilao-Enriquez, secretary general of human rights group Karapatan, and Alex Garcia Lagunzad, secretary general of Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas, an affiliate of Karapatan, also voiced their oppositions.

Mr. Lagunzad, who could not help but break down into tears during the hearing, said that in a span of only three months, a total of 199 cases of summary executions, assassinations, abductions and other human rights violations have been recorded in Eastern Visayas.

Mr. Palparan was quoted early this year that he would wipe out communist rebels in Eastern Visayas in six months. -- Francis Y. Capistrano

http://bworld.com.ph/BW052505/nation2.php

[pulmoaide]

nice kaayo ang information.. thanks