Wednesday, October 25, 2006 9 Oakwood mutineers freed from jail
THE Armed Forces on Tuesday released from detention the nine soldiers implicated in the failed July 2003 Oakwood mutiny, a week after a general court martial of the military cleared them of charges due to lack of evidence.
The enlisted personnel left the compound of the Army's Custodial Management Unit (CMU) inside the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio at 10:30 a.m. The nine have been in detention at the CMU for more than three years already.
Army Chief Romeo Tolentino signed the release order for the nine soldiers over the weekend but the papers was transmitted only on Tuesday to CMU officials, according to Army spokesman Ernesto Torres.
Torres however said the nine - Sergeants Dante Bulawan and Michael Llamas; Corporals Ramon Pedregosa, Alberto Garde, Jonathan Calcada and Arnold Gregorio, and Privates First Class Ronnie Cabaltera, Marlon Cesar and Ian Matematico - cannot leave the Army headquarters.
After their release from CMU, the nine had been attached to the Military Police (MP) Battalion while they undergo retraining and counseling. "They cannot leave the camp unless they get a pass from the MP battalion when there is no scheduled training," said Torres.
The Army said the nine soldiers would not be allowed to return to their place of assignments at the First Scout Ranger Regiment (FSRR) as a matter of policy.
Incidentally, the previous FSRR commander, Brigadier General Danilo Lim, had been implicated in a plot to overthrow the Arroyo government last February. Also linked to the plot were 37 other Army and Marine officers.
Torres said the Army would not apologize to the nine soldiers for detaining them without strong evidence.
The soldiers were all smiles as they left the CMU compound saying in chorus "Hindi na ulit (Never again)." Llamas said: "We are overjoyed. We thank God we are free. Our time in jail is enough punishment. We will now return to the folds of government."
The nine soldiers were cleared by a general court martial last October 17 of various charges, including mutiny, due to lack of evidence. The court cleared the nine based on the motion of the prosecution panel under Lieutenant Colonel Pedro Davila.
Davila made the motion after Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon approved a recommendation by a Special Adjudication Board headed by Armed Forces inspector general Rufino Lopez to drop the charges against the nine soldiers.
Over 90 officers are still being tried by the court martial for various offenses in relation to the mutiny. Of the number, 29 officers - including the six core leaders - are facing coup d'etat charges before a Makati City court. (VR/Sunnex)
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