Mutineers’ military trial starts soon

Soldiers who staged a mutiny last month are set to stand trial in a military court, President Arroyo said yesterday.

"We will mop up the virus of destabilization in the Armed Forces, not by witch-hunting, but by the force of justice and reforms," Mrs. Arroyo said in a statement. "The court-martial is about to start in tandem with civilian court proceedings against the leaders of the conspiracy."

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Inspector-General (IG) has recommended that 108 officers and 45 enlisted men face court-martial, on top of rebellion charges already filed against the entire group who surrendered peacefully within 22 hours of seizing Oakwood Premier Ayala Center last July 27.

Mrs. Arroyo said the government will attack the root causes of adventurism and disenchantment in the military by taking measures such as reforming military procurement and conducting lifestyle checks to stamp out corruption.

Mrs. Arroyo made the statement even as the six junior officers who led more than 300 soldiers in staging the July 27 mutiny appeared before the Court of Appeals (CA) yesterday for a hearing on a petition for habeas corpus.

They wore white shirts instead of their military uniforms, which they had worn at hearings before the Senate and the independent fact-finding commission headed by retired justice Florentino Feliciano.

During the hearing, their lawyer Homobono Adaza complained he and other lawyers did not have free access to their clients, and asked the court to transfer them to another jail.

Adaza said the officers, who are held in detention at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), were subjected to harsh conditions.

He said they were detained in cells with wood planks covering the windows, and that letters for them have been opened and read by their guards. He added conversations between the mutineers and their lawyers were being monitored.

Navy Lt. (sg) Antonio Trillanes IV, one of the mutiny leaders, complained that his family, including his pregnant wife, was facing difficulties because of his detention.

"They are dragging our families into the case," he said without elaborating. "You don’t need to step on people if they are already down." But, he added: "We have learned to accept our fate."

Maj. Gen. Pedro Cabuay, the military’s deputy chief of staff for intelligence, denied during the hearing that the officers’ rights were being curtailed.

Cabuay said the windows were boarded up temporarily because they did not have bulletproof glass.

For the government, Assistant Solicitor General Alexander Gesmundo said the accused officers cannot be treated as ordinary detainees because of the nature of the offense, aside from their being military officers.

The appeals court ordered Trillanes and the mutineers to file their answer on the charges lodged against them by the government within 10 days.

CA Justice Romeo Brawner said a ruling on the petition for habeas corpus would be issued after the filing of the memorandum.

Last week, the Supreme Court ordered the military to produce the six suspects and explain the basis for their detention.

Taking Their Own Sweet Time

Almost three weeks after the Oakwood mutiny, the military has yet to bring the mutineers before a court- martial proceeding.

AFP vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia admitted that they are still compiling the evidence against the mutineers to bolster their case before the general court-martial.

"We are still in this particular process of getting all these (additional evidence). What I can say is that we’re getting some very positive results. More affidavits are damning to some personalities and definitely it’s very supportive of our efforts," Garcia said.

Initially, 45 out of the more than 300 military officers and servicemen who took part in the July 27 mutiny have been recommended to face court-martial.

Garcia, however, said the military investigation in the mutiny is now being wrapped up as many names are also being added to the growing list of servicemen who will face court-martial. "It will depend on the buildup of evidence," he said.

Garcia also admitted the AFP has yet to choose the officers who will comprise the military court.

"There is no definite date yet but we are in the process now of getting the list of people who will compose this court-martial," he said.

The mutineers have claimed they were forced to stage the "spontaneous" rebellion in Oakwood to highlight their grievances within the AFP.

Among other complaints, they accused high-ranking officials in the military establishment and in the government of corruption which necessitated their uprising.

To avoid a mutiny occurring within the police ranks, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. reminded the 133,000 policemen nationwide to channel their complaints through a grievance mechanism.

Ebdane said all "service-related" complaints should be coursed internally as provided by Memorandum Circulars 95-016 and 93-022 issued by the National Police Commission (Napolcom).

He said the directives are aimed at providing an established system and procedure where PNP members can directly file their complaints and grievances.

Police spokesman Senior Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil said the grievance mechanism is also provided for by the law, Republic Act 6975, which created the PNP.

Bataoil said an ad hoc grievance committee may be formed in all levels of command within the police organization to address specific complaints.

He said the PNP Internal Affairs Service (ISA), the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), and the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM) are tasked to monitor all complaints filed before the ad hoc grievance committees. — With Christina Mendez, Jaime Laude, AP, AF