Saturday, August 30, 2008 Mutineers to block release of firearms to AFP
A LAWYER of detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and other Magdalo soldiers said they will not allow the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to take custody of more than 200 firearms including high powered sniper rifles they used in the short-lived 2003 Oakwood mutiny until the coup d’etat case against them is done.
According to Ernesto Francisco Jr., the guns are still needed in their presentation of evidence especially to prove that not all of the firearms recovered after the mutiny was from the Magdalo Group.
The defense is bent on keeping the weapons in storage as evidence in the five-year-old coup d’etat case being heard by Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148 Judge Oscar Pimentel.
“As we have shown, most of the soldiers at Oakwood were unarmed,” he said after Friday’s hearing presided by Branch 147 Judge Ma. Cristina Cornejo in behalf of Pimentel since the male judge is on sick leave.
Francisco added that they still have to find out if the request of the AFP is due to a real need for guns or if for political propaganda purposes only.
“We still have to validate it. It will be part of defense evidence. Based on records, there were questions raised on how the inventory was conducted,” he added, referring to the defense’s claims that not all the guns recovered after the Oakwood incident were from the soldiers who allegedly participated in the alleged coup.
He said there is a chance that they will withdraw their opposition to letting the AFP use the weapons in the fight against the MILF once their observations are duly noted by the court.
“We will just make sure that our observations are duly recorded,” he explained, saying the court gave the defense five days to issue a comment or opposition.
Government lawyers on Monday filed a motion asking the court to release the alleged Magdalo Group guns to the Philippine Army.
They are asking Pimentel to release the weapons to the AFP for the specific purpose of using the same against Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in North Cotabato Province.
Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon and fellow prosecution lawyer Juan Pedro Navera said Army Judge Advocate Colonel Gilberto Jose Roa made the request.
"The people recognize that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are in dire need of these weapons and ordnance. As early as July 2004, these object evidence were already identified, marked, and photographed," Fadullon said.
According to him, the confiscated weapons can be used in the ongoing campaign against the MILF in North Cotabato.
“The release of the cache of firearms will not affect the ongoing defense of the accused as these have already been marked as evidence and stored in a compact disc for use in the court proceedings,” he added.
Trillanes and over 300 other soldiers who allegedly participated in the Oakwood mutiny used a total of 231 guns.
The weapons include 108 M-16A1 Armalite rifles, 38 7.62mm M-14 rifles, eight M653 Colt Commando rifles, 13 sniper rifles in both caliber 5.56mm and 7.62mm versions, an LMG (light machine gun) M240 and LMG M-60, a bazooka-like Light Antitank Weapon (LAW), submachine guns, grenade launchers, and assorted pistols. (AH/Sunnex)
