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Sunday, December 12, 2004
Bayan: Amnesty on Magdalo a bribe
* But military says it's a much deserved second chance
A MILITANT leader Saturday slammed the House resolution urging President Arroyo to grant a full and complete amnesty on the young officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who were involved in the July 27, 2003 Oakwood mutiny.
Jeppie Ramada, spokesman of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) for Southern Mindanao, said the House resolution was made in exchange of the retraction made by the Magdalo group from their previous statements accusing the AFP and the government of graft and corruption.
"It's a done deal in exchange of the mutineers' retraction from their previous statements about corruption in the AFP. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's full amnesty shows that the government is still using bribe system to silence issues of corruption within the administration," Ramada said.
"It is a display of GMA's lack of political will to curb corruption in the AFP," he added.
Ramada said the investigation on alleged corruption should however not be compromised.
He urged the government to have concrete actions to address the issue on corruption not just within the AFP but on all the other government agencies.
"The cases against Major General Carlos Garcia only affirmed the legitimacy of the issues raised by the Magdalo which confirms that the GMA administration has no business of resolving the cause of the mutiny," said Ramada.
Several military officials however supported the House resolution saying it's time for forgiveness especially on this holiday season.
"Ok yan, pasko naman eh," said Major Monico Batle of the defunct 9th Special Forces Battalion.
Lt. Col. Edgardo Gonzales of the Army's 60th Infantry Battalion meanwhile said the mutineers were simply misinformed when they staged the Oakwood mutiny and ought to be given a second chance.
"These mutineers are idealistic, only they were misinformed and need more time to mature. We need their guts and idealism," Gonzales said. (BOT)
(December 12, 2004 issue)
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