11 ‘coup’ officers walk

By ELENA L. ABEN
November 3, 2009, 4:38pm


The 11 officers who were earlier acquitted by the General Court Martial of the mutiny charges for their alleged link to the 2006 attempt to overthrow the Arroyo administration were released Tuesday from detention by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The 11 officers are Col. Januario Caringal and Maj. Francisco Domingo Fernandez, both from the Philippines Marines; and Lt. Col. Nestor Flordeliza, Lt. Col. Edmundo Malabanjot, Capt. Ruben Guinolbay, Capt. Frederick Sales, Capt. Allan Aurino, 1Lt. Ervin Divinagracia, 1Lt. Jacon Cordero, 1Lt. Sandro Sereno, and 1Lt. Ritchiemel Caballes, all from the Philippine Army. They were among 28 officers who were charged with mutiny before the General Court Martial for their alleged attempt to overthrow President Arroyo in 2006.

While the 11 were cleared by the court martial, the hearing for the case of their 17 co-accused – who include senatorial aspirants former Scout Ranger commander Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Col. Ariel Querubin, former Marines commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, and Lt.Col. Custodio Parcon – is ongoing.

Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., AFP spokesman, said the 11 officers “will finally be released per order signed by Gen. Rodrigo Maclang on October 30.” He added the 11 officers will be turned over to their respective major services as free men.

“They shall be released to their respective major services through their respective administrative holding centers after compliance with all administrative matters prior to their posting to military duties,” Brawner said.

After they are turned over, the officers are then free to go home to their respective families. The 11 were cleared by the court martial on October 15 due to insufficiency of evidence.

“The reason why we are only releasing them today is because right after this (release) order was signed by Gen. Maclang, they had to undergo medical examination. So yun lang ang ginawa nila, nung nakompleto nila yun, ngayong araw pinababa sila ni Chief of Staff, Gen. Victor Ibrado so that he could personally talk to them and effect the release to their respective branch of service,” Brawner said.

The AFP spokesman added that Ibrado wanted to talk to the 11 acquitted officers as he considers most of them as his own sons since most of them came from the Scout Ranger Regiment, which the Chief of Staff previously headed, “perhaps to encourage them na gawin yung tama habang pabalik sila sa serbisyo.”

It was learned that most of the 11 acquitted officers are going back to service.

Brawner earlier said the 11 officers, who spent almost three years in detention, are welcome to return to service, where the AFP believes they can greatly contribute to the organization in its fight against insurgency.

“Mga seasoned fighters itong mga ito. They are welcome. We believe they can and they will be able to contribute again to the organization and to our fight against insurgency,” he said.

The AFP spokesman said that as in the case of those who were implicated in the 1987 and 1989 coup attempts against then President Corazon Aquino, there were those who were given another chance by the AFP and are now working in the mainstream.

“In fact, many of those who were given another chance proved to be very effective,” Brawner said.


Source: http://mb.com.ph/node/227731/11-coup-officer