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Thursday, July 20, 2006
175 soldiers investigated over foiled coup
MANILA -- Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Generoso Senga on Wednesday ordered a pretrial investigation on 40 officers and 135 enlisted personnel allegedly involved in the failed plot to overthrow the Arroyo government in February.
The investigation is a precursor to the conduct of court martial proceedings against the soldiers.
AFP Public Information Office Chief Tristan Kison said Senga directed Judge Advocate General Officer Nemesio Dabal to determine if there is a prima facie case against the soldiers.
Once evidence against the officers and men is established, Dabal would recommend to the AFP chief the convening of a court martial. Incidentally, Senga is retiring on Friday and would be replaced by Army Chief Hermogenes Esperon.
Kison said Senga ordered the pretrial investigation upon the recommendation of a fact-finding board headed by AFP Inspector General Rufino Lopez. Lopez submitted his recommendation to Senga last July 7.
Kison said a copy of the report was submitted to Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Wednesday afternoon. He said Senga furnished the defense secretary with a copy of the report for his convenience.
"The fact-finding committee found some officers and enlisted men to have violated some Articles of War," said Kison, adding that the Articles of War that were violated include mutiny, failure to suppress mutiny, and failure to report mutiny.
The fact-finding board also found out that the officers and men also committed conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman, conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline, and disrespect to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the military's Commander-in-Chief, said Kison.
"(The charges) vary depending on the participation of the officers and enlisted personnel. For instance, those who appeared on television could be charged with disrespect to the President while the others would not be charged for that offense," he said.
Kison was referring to the videotape that was shown by a television outfit early this month. The videotape featured sacked First Scout Ranger Regiment commander Danilo Lim withdrawing support from President Arroyo whom he called as "bogus President."
Lim was supposed to lead the planned power grab. He was incarcerated on February 24, hours before he could lead his men to a march to Edsa Shrine and there withdraw their support from Arroyo.
Of the 40 officers ordered to face pretrial investigation, 25 are from the Philippine Army (PA) and 15 are from the Philippine Marines (PM), Kison said, without naming the officers.
It was not clear how many of the 135 enlisted personnel are from the Army or Marines.
"The AFP chief of staff has just directed the Judge Advocate General's Office (Jago) to conduct a pretrial investigation to determine if there is a prima facie case that would warrant trial by court martial. Without pretrial, we cannot proceed directly to court martial," said Kison.
But Kison hinted that the pretrial would subsequently lead to the convening of a court martial. "With the findings (of the fact-finding board), that is where it would lead but it has to go through the process," he said.
When asked if the officers who would face court martial include Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin and former Marine commandant Renato Miranda, Kison said: "I cannot say, I have not seen the report yet. It (list of officers and men) should be ready by tomorrow."
Querubin has admitted on national television that he indeed planned to join Lim in the march to Edsa Shrine. But he clarified that they were not plotting a coup against Arroyo.
The Marine colonel also led a standoff at the PM Headquarters in Taguig on February 26 to protest the unceremonious relief of Miranda as their commandant. Top military officials said the standoff was linked to the failed power grab. (VR/Sunnex)
(July 20, 2006 issue)
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