Friday, June 27, 2008 Soliman, Luna confirm military offensive at Buliok
THE lawyer of the Magdalo soldiers said the testimonies of former social welfare secretary Corazon Soliman and Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff Cardozo Luna have strengthened the rebellious soldiers' claims of validity in airing grievances during the short-lived Oakwood mutiny in July 2003.
Ernesto Francisco said the testimonies given by the two witnesses at the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148 of Judge Oscar Pimentel proved that the Magdalo soldiers had valid grievances, which then spurred them to stage the mutiny.
"Given a fair trial and a fair judge, the accused should be acquitted of the charges," Francisco said after the resumption of the coup d'etat trial of detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and the rest of the Magdalo soldiers.
He said the 300 junior officers and enlisted personnel who took over the Oakwood Hotel in Makati City (now Ascot) on July 27, 2003 were mainly airing their grievances and were not carrying out a coup d'etat contrary to the claims of the authorities.
"The soldiers had compelling reasons to air their grievances but they were not carrying out a coup," he said.
One of the reasons was the government's military offensive at Buliok complex in Pikit, North Cotabato in February 2003 against the Pentagon kidnap-for-ransom gang, which resulted in the displacement of thousands of civilians, not to mention several deaths.
The Magdalo Group said the offensive were aimed at clearing the marshy area to make way for a palm oil plantation and an oil exploration in an agreement entered into by the Philippine National Oil Company and a Malaysian firm.
Soliman told the court that the attack led to the "shedding" of 45,000 families in Buliok alone.
"The defense asked me about the consequences of Buliok. First, it resulted in a lot of evacuations; second, it was a breach of confidence in the peace process," said Soliman, who personally went to see Buliok to head the government's relief operation during the time.
She said the condition of the old people, the sick and dying, as well as the children, was aggravated at evacuation centers. "Their condition was not very good."
She said the prevailing thought at that time in the region was, "Why are they bombing us if they want peace?" "They used bombs and mortars," narrated the former Cabinet member.
Francisco said total evacuees were around 200,000 individuals. He said the testimony of Luna showed that the military operation was overkill.
"They used excessive military force, using not only ground but air forces as well. Those behind it must be held accountable and charged. This is a crime against humanity," he said, adding that his clients witnessed all of these transgressions.
Luna, for his part, said he did not see any connection between Buliok and supposed grievances on the Magdalo's side.
"I don't know how they (defense) connected it to what their gripes were. At that time, we were just doing our mission," said Luna, who preceded Soliman at the witness stand.
Luna was then the commander of the Army's 602nd Infantry Brigade, one of the units that spearheaded the offensive.
The military official said the defense "grilled" him for 45 minutes regarding the conduct of the Cotabato operation, how it was planned and its objective.
Meanwhile, Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon said the testimonies had no relevance to the coup d'etat case.
"The testimonies focused on the February 2003 incident, and the defense did not ask any questions regarding its relation to Oakwood," Fadullon said.
The prosecutor consequently appealed to Francisco to "stop cluttering the case with matters that have no connection with the issue."
Absent from the hearing was Trillanes, who had refused to participate in court proceedings.
At the time of the Oakwood mutiny, Trillanes was a Navy lieutenant senior grade.
He won a Senate seat during the May 2007 elections.
In the next hearing set for July 17, the court will hear the testimony of former Armed Forces chief Generoso Senga, current Armed Forces Inspector General Ferdinand Bocobo, Marcela Rafanan of the Office of the President and Antonio Barros of the Office of the Senate.
Aside from Trillanes, among the core leaders of the Magdalo Group were Marine Captains Gary Alejano and Nicanor Faeldon, Navy Lieutenant Senior Grade James Layug and Army Captains Gerardo Gambala and Milo Maestrecampo.
Gambala and Maestrecampo, along with seven other Magdalo leaders, were convicted by the court but were pardoned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. (AH/Sunnex)
