Friday, May 23, 2008 Reyes says 'Oplan Greenbase' documents were fake
ENERGY Secretary Angelo Reyes said the contents of the "Oplan Greenbase" documents that the Magdalo soldiers claimed drove them to mount the 2003 Oakwood mutiny were fake.
During Thursday's hearing of the Magdalo soldiers for the case of coup d'etat at the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC), Reyes said the claim of the Magdalo soldiers that the government was behind the series of bombings in Davao City and Cotabato City from February to July 2003 were "outrageous."
"My testimony would erase all allegations which have been aired regarding the so-called 'Oplan Greenbase' which are fake documents. There's nothing more outrageous that," Reyes said.
The mutinous soldiers whose leaders include former Navy Lieutenant Senior Grade turned Senator Antonio Trillanes IV claimed that the bombings including at Davao's Sasa Wharf and the nearby international airport were part of Oplan Greenbase to warrant the imposition of martial law, a charge denied by the authorities.
They also said military offensive in February 2003 against the Pentagon kidnap-for-ransom gang at the Buliok Complex in Liguasan Marsh, South Cotabato was just a cove-up for the implementation of the Liguasan Marsh Development.
The offensive killed hundreds of combatants on both sides and the displacement of more than 300,000 civilians.
The 25-year development plan covers an oil exploration contract between the Philippine National Oil Corporation-Exploration Corporation and the Malaysian firm Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd in the area.
A palm oil plantation would also be set up as part of the plan to be bankrolled by the Khadaffi Foundation in Libya with the National Development Corporation as the local partner.
They accused Reyes, who was at the time the defense secretary, then presidential peace adviser Eduardo Ermita and former Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) chief Victor Corpus of orchestrating the bombings.
The Magdalo group has called for the resignation of the said officials in their statements read during the standoff.
But Reyes told the court that the group's allegation has no basis as it was based on "spurious" documents.
"I hope all these allegations would now be erased with my testimony. I think even some of the participants in the Oakwood mutiny realized their mistake. I feel vindicated," Reyes added.
Earlier, defense lawyer Ernesto Francisco Jr. said the Buliok operation and the alleged abuses that resulted from the operation prompted the junior officers to occupy the Oakwood Hotel.
He added that Reyes' testimony as well as the testimony of earlier witnesses prove that the act of the junior officers who led about 300 enlisted personnel in seizing the Oakwood Hotel was not an "attack on duly constituted authorities nor intended 'to seize or diminish state power' but, rather, was a legitimate expression of grievances to focus public attention on corruption in the government."
Francisco and another defense lawyer, Reynaldo Robles, likewise belittled Reyes' testimony that the Greenbase documents were fake adding that he was not able to provide convincing answer when asked why the events, such as the series of bombings, did happen if the document were indeed fake.
For their part, Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon said Reyes' testimony has no bearing on the coup case.
"Another thing why are they presenting the witness when they in fact did not even acknowledge their participation in the failed power grab," Fadullon said.
Fadullon and the defense repeatedly clashed during the trial that started from 9 a.m. and was finished only at 1 p.m. as the prosecution questioned the relevancy of the witness' testimony.
"We have been raising objections precisely because of that. We have been going around, beating the bush for a long time and I'm afraid this will happen again because of the defense propensity to present irrelevant witnesses," he said.
But the defense argued they should be given the chance to present their side adding that the prosecution even took more than three years to complete their presentation with the testimony of at least 22 witnesses including former Armed Forces chief Efren Abu and voluminous documents.
Aside from Reyes, the defense also wants the court to summon Corpus and former social welfare secretary Corazon "Dinky" Soliman as the next witnesses.
Meanwhile, Trillanes and several of the accused did not appear during the hearing. Their lawyers said they have secured a waiver for their non-appearance. (AH/Sunnex)
