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Monday, May 12, 2008
Arroyo pardons 9 Oakwood mutineers
MANILA (Updated 2:56 p.m.) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pardoned nine military officers who apologized after being convicted of a 2003 coup plot, saying Monday that the Philippines yearns for stability - not "political shenanigans."
Arroyo made the announcement during a nationally televised ceremony marking the oath-taking of new military chief General Alexander Yano. He replaced a general known for fiercely defending Arroyo against coup plotters and other threats.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
The government has struggled in recent years to head off unrest in the 120,000-strong military by fighting corruption, introducing reforms and modernizing equipment as it battles communist and Muslim rebels and al-Qaeda-linked militants. The underfunded military is one of Asia's weakest.
Related story:
Arroyo grants pardon to convicted mutineers
2 Magdalo leaders get life sentence over Oakwood mutiny
"The dismal failure of destabilization attempts underscored just how out-of-touch the plotters are with the mood of the nation," Arroyo said. "The nation wants peace, order and stability, not more political shenanigans."
Arroyo paid tribute to outgoing military chief General Hermogenes Esperon for his loyalty and battlefield successes against communist guerrillas, military dissidents and militants from the Abu Sayyaf and the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah terror groups.
Esperon had urged Arroyo to pardon the young officers, who were convicted last month and sentenced to prison terms of 12 to 40 years.
Esperon said the officers showed remorse and good behavior during nearly five years of detention, which he said served as a warning that military adventurism was not the way to seek reforms.
After their conviction the most senior among the nine, army Captain Gerardo Gambala, read a joint statement at a news conference to acknowledge that they had erred in launching the daylong mutiny. They asked fellow soldiers not to follow their example.
During the July 2003 coup attempt, the officers and about 300 other soldiers took over the upscale Oakwood hotel and a nearby shopping center in Manila's financial district of Makati, rigging the area with bombs. They denounced corruption in the government and military.
They later surrendered.
Most of the soldiers who took part in the failed coup have been discharged after years of detention. Others entered into plea bargains and returned to military service. A number of defiant officers have remained in detention, refusing to seek Arroyo's pardon.
The 2003 episode was one of Arroyo's most serious challenges since she took power in a 2001 "people power" uprising that ousted her predecessor, Joseph Estrada, on charges of corruption.
Arroyo has survived four attempted power grabs and three opposition impeachment attempts in her seven turbulent years in power. (AP)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (May 12, 2008 issue)
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